Maximizing your mobility before doing squats can help you get the most out of the exercise. These exercises should be done before your squat workout as a warm-up.
Ankle dorsiflexion strength and mobility can help you move in and out of the bottom of the squat with ease and stability.
Mobility:
Kneel in front of a wall and move your knee to the wall. Move as far away from the wall as possible, keeping the heel on the ground. Hold 30-60 seconds
Strength:
Lift your toes off the ground and turn your foot in slightly. Hold 10 seconds, 10 times.
Proper hip mobility is required to perform a squat without compensating. Cross one leg in front and the other leg extended behind and push your hip out. Hold 30-60 seconds.
Squatting with a rounded back can lead to injury. Maintain the natural curve in your spine by promoting lower back extension. Repeat 10 times.
Upper body positioning is often over looked when performing a squat. It is important to be able to keep your shoulders back during the squat. Open your shoulders up by moving your arms back up against a wall and slide them up as far as comfortable. Hold 30-60 seconds at the top.
Place your leg on a step or a bench and move your knee left to right to improve hip mobility at the deeper positions of the squat.
Move gently as far as possible into a deep squat to place each joint into maximal end range of movement. Hold on to a pole if needed to assist getting in and out of this position. Doing this before your squat can maximize your mobility and allow you to squat easier. Hold 30-60 seconds.
