\u201cSquatting isn\u2019t good for your knees\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cMy knees are bad, I can\u2019t squat\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard these kinds of comments many times from countless different people.\u00a0 Maybe you have even said them yourself.\u00a0 I can understand how it might appear that squatting is meant only for the young and healthy.\u00a0 All that heavy weight on your shoulders then going all the way down to the floor and back up\u2026that can seem rather intimidating not to mention crazy hard.\u00a0 That kind of heavy load must put crazy amounts of strain on your joints and just can\u2019t be good for you\u2026right?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wrong!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The fact of the matter is, that squatting is not only NOT BAD for you but it\u2019s actually really beneficial and I might even say necessary.\u00a0 Deep squatting has been shown to be an effective training exercise for protection against injuries and strengthening of the lower extremity [2].\u00a0 This in part relating to something called the wrapping effect.\u00a0 Which essentially just means that when you bend the knee past 90 degrees the knee is more supported.\u00a0 \u00a0The load placed on the knee is better distributed as well as the force transfer throughout the knee.\u00a0 Not only that but performing half squats (squats performed between 80-100 degrees of knee flexion) are not recommended due to creating higher compression and stress through the knee.\u00a0 In fact, the compressive forces are highest at 90 degrees of knee flexion [2]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In addition, deep squatting does not contribute to increased injury of the passive structures of the knee [2].\u00a0 These would include your ligaments, tendons, meniscus, and cartilage.\u00a0 In fact, positive adaptations such as larger, thicker ligaments, have been seen in those who perform squats.\u00a0 Deep heavy squatting below parallel has been shown to make all structures of the knee stronger [2].<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Load it up!<\/h2>\n

The body has an amazing way of responding to loads.\u00a0 At the cellular level, we are able to sense and respond to forces applied to the body.\u00a0 A physical stimulus, or load, applied to one cell becomes a stimulus in surrounding cells and beyond [3].\u00a0 Our bodies cellular response to this is to remodel and become stronger! \u00a0Increased loading leads to positive adaptations that are protective to degenerative changes of the knee such as arthritis, meniscus and cartilage damage.\u00a0 Years of strength training in full ranges of motion utilizing correct movement patterns result in functional adaptations of the articular cartilage and meniscal tissue [2].\u00a0 Therefore, the more you squat, the more injury resistant your knee becomes.\u00a0 Ultimately, not only is it safe for you to perform squats but it may actually be necessary to prevent injury and allow for a healthy seamless move through your decades of life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now that you are armed with all of these good science knowledge bombs…grab a barbell and go do some heavy deep squats like your life depended on it!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Xx<\/p>\n

Allison<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/td>\n	H. Hartmann, W. Klaus and M. Klusemann, “Analysis of the Load on the Knee Joint and Vertebral Column with Changes in Squatting Depth and Weight Load,” 2013.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
[2]<\/td>\n	G. D. Myer, A. M. Kushner, J. L. Brent, B. J. Schoenfeld, J. Hugentobler, R. S. Lloyd, A. Vermeil, D. A. Chu, J. Harbin and S. M. McGill, “The back squat: A proposed assessment of functional deficits and technical factors that limit performance.,” vol. 36, no. 6, 2014.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
[3]<\/td>\n	S. L. Dunn and M. L. Olmedo, “Mechanotransduction: relevance to physical therapist practice-understanding our ability to affect genetic expression through mechanical forces.,” Phys Ther, <\/em>pp. 96:712-712, 2016.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n	<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever wondered if squatting is actually good for you?\u00a0 We see people hit the squat rack all the time but what if they are actually hurting themselves in the long run?\u00a0 You may have even heard advice about being careful not to squat too deep because you might damage your knees.\u00a0 Or not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"yoast_head":"\n