The WELLthy Mom Squat Exercise

The WELLthy Mom Squat Exercise is another exercise that is part of our family exercise routine because squats can be done anywhere and the effects can be seen in no time. A research study by the American Council on Exercise found that squats can work wonders for your strength, flexibility, physique and power. In addition to working the quadriceps, a proper squat recruits muscle fibers from the hamstrings and glutes. It also forces the core to engage and the upper body to stabilize, making it a nearly total-body exercise.

The WELLthy Mom Squat Exercise is a compound in strength training and fitness, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. It’s basically like sitting in a chair and we have to remember that we don’t sit in a chair with our behind half in the air. The bottom half of the squat is the hardest part and the portion of the exercise that really focuses on the glutes and hamstrings. In other words, get low, even if that means using no added weight at all.

Once you have mastered good squat form, there are numerous variations of the basic squat you can use in your workout routine. In addition to the basic body-weight squat, here are five squat variations you can easily incorporate in your workout routine.

Overhead Squat

Put your hands in the air if you want to fire up your core even more. You’ll target your abs and back muscles by simply lifting your arms by your ears, as you lower your hips and butt toward the floor.

Wide Stance Squat

Stepping your feet a little wider than hip-distance will allow you to get lower into your squat.

Pulse Squat

Pulsing it low in a smaller range of motion will form greater muscle endurance gains.

Squat with Calf Raise

When you come up from the bottom of your squat, lift your heels to feel your lower legs. Shaking means you’re doing it right.

Squat to Knee Raise

When you stand up from a squat, you’ll use your hip flexors and abs to lift your knee toward your chest. Try to bring your leg higher and move faster each time you come back to this variation to keep the squat challenge going.

Lunge to Squat

Two main movement patterns in one, this exercise gets every part of your lower half firing. Stay low in your squat so legs muscles remain engaged as you step back into a lunge, alternating sides.

Squat Jump

This power player is a surefire way to rev your heart rate and get your fast-twitch muscle fibers involved for more speed and strength. Remember to land softly back down after each jump up from your squat.

Wall Squat

While keeping the back against the wall, bend the knees and lower the body until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds. Return to the starting position by pushing the heels into the floor and sliding the back up against the wall.

I do my best to incorporate the WELLthy Mom squat exercise at home or at the gym. It’s about giving priority to what helps me stay on track of my whole well-being lifestyle journey and understanding that WELLthy starts within in order to be the best me, the best wife and the best mom I am called to be!