A lot of people are scared of doing squats and won’t do them because “it ruins your knees” but that belief has been debunked.  In fact, our own Auburn University published research on how squats strengthen knee stability back in 1989! (here is the link if you’re a nerd like me and want to read up on it 😉 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2733579) It’s probably one of the best exercises for your entire body, not just your legs and butt, and can actually help strengthen your upper body!

Here is a list on just some of the benefits of the squat:

**Important that proper technique is key:  bad form is how you get bad knees!!**

Squats Create An Anabolic Environment. not many other exercises do more to promote overall muscle growth. This means, not only will the squat build muscles directly related to the exercise itself – like your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves – it also indirectly promotes muscle growth across the rest of your body, in places like your biceps, chest, and back (for examples).

Increase Functional Strength. Very few exercises are as natural as the squat. Since the very beginning of time, man has been squatting down to pick berries, gather food, light fires, and even cook (we spent our first months of life in a squat in our mother’s womb!) It makes sense than that the squat builds pure, functional strength. Not only do they build huge amounts of muscle, the squat also forces your body’s nerve networks to work your muscles more efficiently.

Improve Circulation. If you ever experience a ‘dead leg’, numbness, tingling or a feeling of coldness in your extremities, it could be caused by poor circulation.The circulatory system relies heavily on bodily movement to function properly, which is why exercise – including squats – is one of the best preventative or remedial steps you can take for poor circulation.Cellulite can be caused by a variety of factors, one of which is poor circulation. In fact, it’s one of the main causes of cellulite and can seriously impact and accelerate cellulite formation.When you boost your blood flow through squats, your cellulite will soon start to reduce and may even disappear altogether!

Tone and Tighten Your Butt.I implore you to find an exercise that’ll give you a nicer looking rear-end than the squat.;)

Enjoy Better Posture and Core Strength Upper body posture is of the utmost importance – your upper back, lower back, chest, shoulders and stomach all play a role in successful squatting.Squats are one of the best exercises for a strong core as we must engage the stomach muscles and lower back when performing them.Once you have a stronger core, you’ll notice your overall athletic ability improve, everyday tasks become easier and that feeling of general weakness will disappear.

Improve Balance. As we age, nerve endings and connective tissue degenerate naturally. Squats have been proven to improve the communication between your brain and your body’s major muscle groups, and improve muscle memory. This carries into your later years and goes a long way in preventing falls and broken hips.

Prevent Injuries. Nearly 90% of athletic injuries involve the weaker stabilizer muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue. By using a free standing compound exercise that requires good balance (aka, the squat), you’ll do a lot to reduce the risk of injury.

Improve overall health The muscles that are strengthened by doing squats help regulate glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity, playing a role in preventing obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Gain Flexibility. If you ever want proof that weight training doesn’t reduce flexibility and won’t make you muscle bound, the squat is it. 

They’ll Give You Great Abs. If you’ve got a body fat percentage that’s low enough, and you squat regularly, you’ll quickly find that you have no need to do a lot of work on your abs.