One of the abilities I lost over the years seems to be the ability to squat. Squatting is cultural and in our environment and is the most natural thing to be able to do but not for me- not any longer. My sedentary habits are probably mostly to blame and of course, being overweight( no, obese) doesn’t help too.
Starting today, I decided to work on getting back into good squatting practices and to not support myself with a table or whatever is handy , getting up from a squat.
My cat makes strange sounds when he sees me – if I say hi, he says, something like a mix between a purr and a grr- now my knees make the same- like an old rickety chair, which sounds as if it is going to give up.
I have done 20 already. A good squat is not supposed to pain one’s knee but every time I get up, my knee lets me know it is there.
I can squat in the cross leg pose but not for too long.
Interesting coincidence that I had resolved to sit on the floor more often and for longer henceforth!
My knees pop. Not purr.
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Nice share. I have problems in every quarter.
I saw on youtube that there was a man who determined to not sit down at all for a month- an abstinence from sitting down.
Did you watch the agitations over S.mala ?
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I bend my knees to pick things up from the floor and feel virtuous for doing that. Good luck practicing your squats. I’m working on getting up and down from the floor without a chair to lean on. There are videos showing how to do it!!!
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Wow ! Can you really do that. Getting up from the floor ? You are amazing, Anne. ( Touch wood)
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It’s getting easier to get up from the floor. I push with one hand on my left knee and one hand on a chair. Getting down is easier, because you can always fall the final few inches.
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Thank you Anne. The last bit of the sitting is the easiest, I agree where we plop down on the chair or ground.
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Cleaning the house and squatting to clean the floor or pick up things is great exercise. I am reminded of the women I saw squatting in Asia and the Middle East.
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So difficult but who knew it would become an exercise routine.
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Dear Susie – I have not been able to squat or haunch down for years – in fact I began the walking regimen thinking it would help. I also believed it was from sitting in one place too long since I work from home. I still think it is. I have been walking since 2011 – still can’t squat. I am embarrassed to say that I can’t get on my hands and knees either as it hurts my knees. I won’t put anything in the back of the cupboards where I can’t just reach in and grab them – that cuts down on cupboard space and in doing all the grocery shopping for the Winter (for pantry items) it leaves me with stuff here, there and everywhere. I still haven’t gotten everything away from the last store trip. Don’t feel badly. I should work on it as well. I can’t even get onto my knees with a chair nearby … the last time I did it, I was clinging for dear life to get upright again and thought to myself “I am not doing that ever again.” I am only 62 … I worry about it a little but I guess in an emergency, I’d come up with a plan. P.S. – You sent me your picture with your friend – you are not obese, even if you ate American food, not Keto-diet food while in Pennsylvania. 🙂
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Dear Linda,
Thank you for your message and I loved it- especially for its last sentence when you said, I am not obese. There are youtube videos on how to squat and if we do it their way our knees don’t hurt. According to them, it is just a matter of familiarizing our body to repetitive movements till the body does it on its own when the need arises. I hate that you cannot use your pantry space appropriately. I think it is all the sitting that is doing this to us.
Susie
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I saw your picture Susie and beg to differ with you. I thought my problem was because I am tall (5 ‘9″ tall) (175.25 cm) and my legs are constantly bent as I sit here at the table – I sit at the kitchen table with the laptop. I figure that is the issue. I don’t like that I can’t squat or bend down to get in the cupboards. I will work on it during the Winter when I am not walking and outside as much and spending more time indoors. I really have to do some exercises to limber up as well. I tell myself that at least once a week, but I don’t get it done. Sigh.
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youtube really helps to guide us to learning a new skill.
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I love YouTube for that Susie – I have solved some Microsoft issues that way – I’d much rather watch a video than read instructions as I get more out of it that way. I must do some limbering up exercises … you would think the walking would be exercise enough but it is just mild cardio to be honest … strengthening my legs but not keeping me limber and since I am getting old (older) (take your pick) at age 62 1/2 years old I have to be mindful of keeping myself in shape. I’ve been more attendant to cardio because heart disease runs in my family … my mom had an irregular heartbeat and my maternal grandmother and her siblings (9 altogether) all died of heart disease. I eat no red meat and haven’t for several years now – trying to do my part to stay healthy.
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At today’s exercise class I am slightly better at squatting than yesterday and my knees don’t hurt that much. Maybe as they say on youtube it is a case of teaching the muscles the correct way to do a squat( conditioning). Repetitive movement probably does that.
I am now enrolled in an exercise class and attend classes most every day. The exercises are different each day- so that is that much time off my couch. I would rather say that stress is the biggest morbidity- more than anything else that causes heart disease and strokes.
Susie
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That’s a good regimen so that you use different muscles every day Susie – that way you don’t do any damage to one particular muscle group. Even though I walk, if I go up and down the stairs a lot of times, say with the groceries, I will get calf splints and that is painful to walk and don’t want to do any damage. So I take down two or three bags of groceries each day to put away to avoid this happening – I had it happen one time and was out of commission a good week. Likewise, I went on a long walk one time and got shin splints. Too much of a good thing sometimes. I believe stress is a big cause too – there are too many things we worry about these days. The world we live in is stressful enough. I would not want to bring children in such a stress-filled world.
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I have to do modified squats at physical therapy. I am quite sure I could not do “real” ones! I also know if I get on the ground I do NOT look graceful getting myself back up! I am just happy to be working on my balance. My physical therapist tells me that people my age (61) should do those exercises everyday to maintain balance well into our older years. That way we won’t fall as fast and break something!
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Faye, thank you for telling me that this is necessary to do as we age- now I will be more careful. There is a man on youtube who says he took up a challenge to not sit down for a month- so that his body doesn’t get all used to an easy life.
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Hi Susie, Good for you, working on strengthening you muscles!! I probably couldn’t do a squat to save my life!
Love, Lucy
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Try it, Lucy
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Every squat and every step is going to count – it is already giving a voice to your knee 😀 Jokes apart, keep going and keep moving.
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Thanks Prajakta. How have you been? Long time no hear.
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Squatting evokes pains where I didn’t know I have places. They make me aware that I too am carrying too much weight to be healthy. I plan to stop doing them when I stop breathing. ❤
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Wow! You’re amazing! To do 20! Wow! I’m not sure I could do 1. Yep, I admit it! Can’t do 1!
Maybe I can blame an old bicycle accident? Seven screws & a plate in one leg- Sure, that’s a good excuse. Ha ha !
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