Poor squat mobility means you'll only manage shallow squats. You've likely got some muscle weakness or imbalance. You may also have tight hips, leading to various other issues as you age. One of the most common reasons for this is a sedentary lifestyle.
Ok, I know that's a lot. Squatting is a whole body movement pattern, it's not going to get restored instantly or the same way for everyone. But it's definitely possible -- it's just about time, practice, and sticking with it. And of course the great news is that working on each part is amazing for your movement health!
Form Check: Ensure your squat form is correct. Common issues include improper depth, knee cave, or an unstable core. Consider having a coach or experienced lifter review your technique. Foot Position: Experiment with your foot placement (width and angle) to find what feels most comfortable and effective for you.
A deep squat requires hip flexion. Tight and weak hips inhibit clients from squatting low and cause compensation which leads to improper technique. The same principle applies to ankle mobility. If a client is unable to sit low into a squat and has poor ankle mobility, their knees will not track forward.
Older individuals have reduced joint mobility (Medeiros et al., 2013) and muscle strength (Delbaere et al., 2003) in their lower limbs. Therefore, older individuals might have more difficulty with deeper-squat movements.
As we age, our muscles may lose elasticity, and joints can become stiffer. Injuries to the lower back, hips, knees, or ankles can lead to compensatory movement patterns, reducing squat depth and form.
Where do you normally get tight after squatting? More than likely you pointed to the front of your thighs, on top of your knees and into the groin area. Bingo, these are your anterior chain muscles (Quads, and Adductors for those playing along at home).
The most common areas with mobility issues that limit the depth and mechanics of a squat are ankles, hips, and thoracic spine.
Simple: Train your glutes more, more hip thrusts and glute bridges to strengthen your glutes and minimise quad dominant or quad isolation exercises like leg extensions. Practice and retrain your hip hinge patterns with exercises like the Dowel Hip Hinge to help improve your squat form.
Gluteus Medius
The gluteus medius is a muscle on the lateral side of your glute near your hip. If it is weak, it can affect hip, knee and low-back function. If you squat and your knees turn inward, you may have a weak gluteus medius. “Often, we see runners with weak gluteus medius muscles,” Mueller said.
You Might: Have Tight Hips
"Tight hips can hinder the depth of your squats and also lead to poor form," McLaughlin says. While there are a ton of possible reasons for tight hips, the most common culprit is sitting too much, which constrains your hip flexors into an abnormally compressed position.
A weak squat can be caused by muscular imbalances, mobility challenges, poor nutrition and recovery, overtraining, and incorrect form. If you're asking 'why is my squat so weak', it's likely a cause of one of these problems, but each one has a solution that can help improve your weak squatting.
Yes, a great workout challenges all of the major muscle groups in your upper and lower body. But if you have time for only one exercise, you'll get the most bang for your buck by doing squats — the classic move in which you slowly lower your bottom to seated level, then stand back up.
If you are not in neutral, tight hip flexors may be the culprit. Often I've seen tight hip flexors move your pelvis into an anterior tilt. This is a problem because it limits your abdominals and glutes from engaging during the squat.
According to the authors, nearly everyone they interviewed kept in shape by practicing a morning routine called, “Radio Taiso” the most famous exercise in Japan that dates back to the 1920s.
The ability to squat correctly without pain can be improved by building quadriceps, buttocks and core muscles. To do so, Harrell recommends the wall squat exercise. Start with 10 wall squats three times per week, says Harrell.
If you want to improve your ankle range of motion, you can perform a weight-bearing lunge, squat, or split squat variation for 2-4 sets of 30-60 second holds or 6-12 repetitions with a 3-5 second hold at your end range, 2-4 times a week.