The benefits of squats for women after 50. The enormous benefits of squats
The question of whether squats help you lose weight can be answered unequivocally - yes, if you do them correctly and follow a certain diet. Excellent physical shape rests on two foundations - regular exercise and proper nutrition. You can’t work out in the gym or do squats at home in order to lose weight, without denying yourself treats and breaking all the rules of eating!
Squatting is the most natural process for the human body, as a result of which you can really lose weight and load not only your legs, but also your buttocks, thighs, and even your abs and back.
About the benefits of squats
IN modern world With the eternal lack of time, not everyone can find a free hour or two to visit the gym. Distances most of people are overcome by using public transport or personal cars, they lead a sedentary lifestyle at work and at home. The result is health problems and a far from perfect body with atrophied muscles that are unable to withstand the minimum load without desperate shortness of breath.
Lack of physical activity to the proper extent leads to the emergence of all kinds of diseases, ranging from hypertension to obesity and diabetes mellitus. And this is just the beginning of what can happen to a person who avoids the opportunity to exercise.
Squats are the most convenient way get your body and health in order without wasting time at the gym. The exercise will ideally prepare you for further loads and accustom you to a certain sports discipline, even without the supervision of a coach. If you compare “doing nothing” and squats at home, then the latter option for the legs, buttocks and thighs will give a much more noticeable effect!
The uniqueness of the squat lies in its duality. The exercise is both strength and aerobic, which is confirmed by the two phases of its implementation. The first phase - muscle relaxation occurs. The second phase is a force effect due to lifting the body upward. Additional weights will increase the number of calories burned, which means it will help you lose weight!
What muscles work?
Squats allow you to work the muscles of the lower body to the greatest extent, in particular the legs, buttocks and thighs, since they take the greatest load. Additionally, the muscles of the lower leg, abs and back take part in the process. Regular squats with proper technique will not only help you lose extra pounds, but also rid your legs of cellulite! Isn’t this what girls dream about today, who constantly lose weight by experimenting with diets?
By the way, in addition to the listed muscles that work during squats, another one is worked out - the heart, due to which the organs receive twice as much oxygen and nutrients (acceleration of blood flow)!
Features of performing squats
Those who want to lose weight can learn how to do squats correctly to get into excellent physical shape on their own using proven video examples. Start by mastering your breathing technique. Until you learn that you need to inhale while lowering and exhale while lifting your body, it is better not to start squats, especially with weights! 
As for the depth of the squat, the amplitude of the movement must be selected based on the choice of squatting technique and your own weight. Obviously, it is better not to do deep squats for large people who have not previously exercised, in order to avoid injury. You can stop at classic squats - up to parallel with the floor - or squats with a limited range of motion, especially if the weight exceeds the norm.
Variations with deep squats are also acceptable, but it is better to move on to mastering them after some time of training based on regular, safe squats.
An important point is the feet resting on the floor. The heel of each foot must not be lifted off the floor, and the back must be flat (bending the back without bending with legs wide apart is permissible in certain types squats)! Your knees should not go beyond the plane of your toes; you can look forward or a little higher.
Which squats to choose?
There are a great variety of squats and each of them has its own effect, for some it is an ideal option. But let's start with something simple - with a classic squat, which will help prepare for more complex variations.
IN classic version For squats, you will need to place your feet shoulder-width apart, turn your toes to the sides, straighten your shoulders, and keep your back straight. From this position you can perform a squat, rising from the bottom point as you exhale. Everything is simple and clear! You can start with 15-20 repetitions in three approaches. Over time, you can increase the number of squats.
Another option is classic squats with weights. It is performed according to the same principle as the exercise described above, using additional weights, for example, dumbbells or a barbell. You can move on to such exercises only after doing classic squats without a load for at least a week!
About calories
Strength training has always been effective when it comes to burning calories. Squats are no exception. By squatting just 15 minutes a day, 
You can not only pump up your legs and buttocks, but also spend enough calories to start the weight loss process. You can calculate the number of calories burned, taking into account that in 5 minutes a person weighing 60 kg can burn 43 kcal if he sits down a hundred times. If you do squats with weights, you can double the number of calories you burn!
In conclusion, we note that squats are for a person who wants to improve physical fitness, strengthen your legs and buttocks, and also lose some weight - it's easy perfect option, considering that the exercise helps develop lower body muscles and burns calories! Start with simple squats and in time you will be ready to move into gym for training according to an individually developed training program for results and without injuries.
Squats are one of the most effective physical exercises that you can do at home on your own, without the help of trainers or machines.
So, what are the benefits of squats? The benefits of squats are simply enormous.
Usually, when asked what muscles swing when squatting, the answer is to list the muscles of the lower body (quadriceps, calf muscles, gluteus maximus, etc.). However, in fact, squats are so effective that they make it possible to pump up almost all muscles. How?
The fact is that squats are a very intense physical exercise, which, when correct execution promotes the production of testosterone and human growth hormone - the main hormones responsible for muscle growth. Thus, squats help to grow not only the muscles of the legs, but also the muscles of the upper body. (By the way, you can find out whether you can do squats during pregnancy here - gestacya.ru).
2. Squats help you burn more fat.
The question of how many calories squats burn is not entirely correct. It is difficult to calculate the exact number of calories per squat. But something else is well known. For every additional kilogram of muscle, the human body burns an additional 160 calories per day. That is, if with the help of squats you built up 3.5 kilograms of pure muscle (and squats, as already mentioned, make it possible to do this), then your body begins to burn 1600 more calories daily. At the same time, it is the fat that is reduced, the muscles only grow.
3. Squats help maintain good stability and mobility.
The benefits of squats are very great for older women and men. With age, even when a person is still quite active, leg strength decreases. This leads to frequent falls, which often lead to disability. Squats, like no other exercise, make it possible to strengthen your legs.
In addition, squats maintain spinal stability and help strengthen connections between muscles and brain. These connections also weaken with age and also lead to frequent falls.
Thus, it can be argued that squats allow you to prolong active life person, to prevent falls and their consequences - fractures.
4. Squats help prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes
Squats help the body build muscles. And muscles take part in the metabolism of glucose and lipids, preventing the development of insulin resistance. That is, they help prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
5. Squats Can Prevent Sports Injuries
Squats prevent injuries not only for older people, but also for young people leading an active lifestyle. After all, in addition to muscles, squats also strengthen ligaments, and connective tissue. Improves flexibility. Which is extremely important and helps to avoid sports injuries, be it a broken leg or.
6. Squats speed up the movement of fluids in the body
Being a very serious physical exercise, squats help accelerate the movement of all fluids in the body; they improve blood supply to tissues and organs, contributing not only to their better supply nutrients, but also more complete removal waste products.
7. Squats help fight chronic constipation
When performing squats, intestinal motility increases. In addition, the movement of feces through the rectum is optimized. Bowel movements occur regularly and in the proper amount.
8. Squats improve athletic performance.
It may seem that this advantage of squats to ordinary people not applicable. This is wrong. For example, if you are sitting on a park bench and suddenly see your baby about to run out of the green space into the roadway, you will move much faster to grab the child if you are doing squats than if you are not doing them. It has been established that squats speed up running, increase the amplitude of long and high jumps, and in general, contribute to any rapid movement.
9. Squats help you do your homework.
Unlike many fitness exercises, which provide the opportunity to master movements that are ordinary life and are not needed at all, squats help cope with the most common, but not so simple activities. This makes it much easier for a person who regularly squats to vacuum an apartment or wash the floors. The effect of squats is clearly visible in everyday life.
For information on how to properly perform squats for beginners, read next material.
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Physical activity in the form of squats is important element almost any workout. At the same time, the benefits achieved are very expressive: the muscles of the back and legs are fully loaded, thanks to which the male figure becomes more attractive and sculpted. What else are squats useful for men's health? Read on and be sure to practice with us!
The benefits of squats for the stronger half
If you are not lazy and squat regularly, you will normalize your work circulatory system, keep your muscles, tendons and joints toned. Experts also claim that this method exercise is excellent prevention impotence with prostatitis due to increased blood flow in the genital area. This type of training stimulates the body's production. When you squat, many muscles begin to move: your legs, buttocks, back and abs tense. By putting stress on the heart and blood vessels, you strengthen this system and generally improve the metabolic processes of the entire body.
Squat Variations
Many techniques for this exercise have been developed today. We will describe some of them. To begin with, let's turn to the standard version: standing up straight and placing your feet shoulder-width apart, drawing in your stomach to the point of tension and bending your knees slightly, take a deep breath. You need to squat as low as possible, fixing the position for ten seconds. Rise up as you exhale, keeping your back straight, do not lift your feet off the floor. Try doing five sets of 10 reps.
You can also put your hands on your hips, cross your legs so that one is in front of the other, and stand on your toes with your back leg. Inhaling, lunge forward, while the bend angle of both legs should be straight, the back leg is still on the toe, and the front leg is with the entire foot on the floor. do at least 15 repetitions of the exercise per day.
No less useful will be a squat while inhaling with the knees bent at a 90° angle and the pelvis moving back from the initial position, when the hands are on the belt, the legs are shoulder-width apart and the toes are pointing outward. In addition, you can put your feet together and lower your arms freely.
Make it more difficult for yourself by holding the chair with your hand and lifting, slightly bending, the leg that is further from it. While inhaling, the supporting leg bends so that the bend angle is straight, and the other leg is fully straightened forward or backward in different variations (after exhaling, return to the starting position and repeat the exercise for the other leg). This will strengthen your legs and lower back.
An equally serious option is when you squat while inhaling to 90° (with your legs shoulder-width apart), jumping up as you exhale, with your legs straight. Afterwards you immediately need to sit down again.
Step squats will train your cardiovascular and respiratory system: you first put your feet together, then take a step to the side and squat, returning to starting position on the exhale.
What to do with your hands?
During squats, it is important to remember about your arms, because they help maintain balance and also create additional load. For example, by stretching your arms out in front of you, bending them slightly and clasping your fingers together, you create balance. And by placing your hands on your belt, you engage the muscles that help stabilize the load. It wouldn’t hurt to cross your arms over your shoulders and place them behind your head (with your elbows spread to the sides). To activate the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle, extend your arms up.
Starting to squat
If you do up to a hundred squats, you can get rid of more than 200 calories. You become stronger and more resilient. The main thing is to do the exercise without haste and abruptness, smoothly. Pauses between passes will help to avoid overload, especially at the beginning. In addition to performing it regularly, you should also consult with specialists so as not to harm your health. For example, if you have varicose veins, diseases of the spine and heart, as well as in other cases, you should not squat.
Numerous physical exercise and in particular squats are an integral part of life, inherent in those who wish to adhere to healthy image life. Our humanity, in its quest to preserve and strengthen its health, annually develops many of the most various techniques variations and types of physical exercises.
Such complexes can be carried out using certain auxiliary means (the same exercise machines, or other sports equipment), or they can only be done using the person’s own weight. However, as people say, “all the most ingenious things are as simple as possible.” Agree, sometimes the simplest and seemingly ordinary exercises can bring the greatest benefit.
As you probably guessed, we are talking about squats. Because squats can be called perhaps the simplest exercise known to every person since childhood, which is deservedly considered the most effective.
What variations of squats exist today?
- Firstly, these are weightlifting squats. These exercises are the most complete in amplitude and depth. Directly in the process of performing such squats, the greatest number muscles of our body. Well, besides, it is precisely these squats that require the greatest effort from the person performing them. Indeed, in this case it will be necessary to sit down as low as possible. As a result, a person will be able to pump up (shape) a fairly beautiful buttock shape for himself.
- Secondly, these are powerlifting squats. Such squats imply full squats, which are performed no lower than a certain selected parallel. Similar exercises are designed for the hips, as well as to strengthen the buttocks. Such exercises will involve almost all muscles in their work, which, undoubtedly, allows you to ultimately return the working muscles to excellent shape. Such exercises give maximum effect over a relatively short period of time.
- And thirdly, these are the so-called bodybuilding squats, which involve performing squats above a certain selected parallel. Such squats primarily use the thigh muscles.
Benefits of squats
Without a doubt, the benefits of performing banal, but correctly performed squats are truly enormous. Moreover, the benefits of this exercise do not even depend on how exactly this exercise will be performed, meaning with or without weights. It is squats that are considered one of the most important components in bodybuilding or powerlifting, of course, in modern choreography and effective physical therapy.
And that’s all, because when performing the most common squats in effective work the largest part of the leg muscles is included. When performing squats, the muscles that are designed to hold our spine in an upright position also work. As a result, correctly performed squats affect the correctness of our posture.
In addition, when performing squats at an accelerated pace, our gluteal muscles, calf muscles, and quadriceps begin to work. Everyone will not be left without work during this exercise. lower muscles our back, the same hamstrings, we note that partial load also falls on the muscles of the lower abdomen (lower abs).
The enormous benefits of squats are quite obvious, both for modern men, and for our women. For example, if such exercises allow men to significantly strengthen literally all the muscles of their legs, bring them to a more prominent shape, and make them as strong as possible, then for women such exercises are even more necessary. And that’s all, because squats can allow a woman to get rid of many problems with the pelvic organs. Squats also allow women to completely get rid of the so-called “breeches” (fullness) on the hips.
With the help of squats, women improve the shape of their own buttocks and get rid of many extra pounds. But it is strong and toned hips, pleasantly rounded and elastic buttocks that are the dream of any woman. Moreover, such forms will not only make every woman’s figure slim and as fit as possible, such forms will have a positive impact on a woman’s gait. And in this case, a woman’s gait undoubtedly has every chance of becoming softer, lighter, and more attractive.
The harm of squats
Unfortunately, the benefits of squats have not always been and may be so clear. Some experts at a certain time period suggested that squats could have an extremely detrimental effect on the health of the knee joints. Many experts believe that squats can break down and in some way stretch our knee tendons, which can naturally weaken our knees and even cause pain.
To tell the truth, most experts still stipulated that such problems can be caused solely by improperly performed squats, especially with weights. At a certain point in time, squats as a physical activity were even completely removed from the main list of exercises intended for the American army. However, research that was carried out at the end of the twentieth century was able to completely rehabilitate squats. At the same time, recent research has been able to completely return squats to their reputation as excellent, completely safe and truly effective exercises.
In any case, it should be understood that the benefits or harm from squats may be conditional if these exercises are performed incorrectly. It is extremely important to monitor your posture while performing such exercises. After all, an incorrect position when squatting your spine can ultimately cause harm, leading to injury.
It is absolutely forbidden to perform any squats under load (with a certain weight in your hands) without the constant supervision of an experienced trainer or a professional powerlifting instructor or bodybuilding instructor in general!
And of course, so that squats do not harm you, you need to clearly understand how to perform this or that squat and naturally perform the chosen exercise correctly.
How to do squats correctly?
If you consider yourself just a beginner athlete, then it is advisable not to squat too deeply. In this case, when squatting, it is advisable to stop at the level of an imaginary line that is parallel to the floor. Note that in this case your knee joints will undoubtedly be bent at an angle of no more than 90 degrees.
When performing any type of squats, you should ensure that your back is absolutely straight and slightly tilted forward. When squatting, be sure to keep your feet exactly shoulder width apart. This position will protect you as an athlete from accidentally falling or losing coordination. To ensure that you are not disturbed when doing squats own hands, you can stretch them forward, as children do, or simply fold your hands in front of your chest into a lock (of course, you can take small dumbbells in your hands).
In any case, squats should always be as smooth as possible, very soft, without the slightest jerking. This exercise should be performed slowly, without jerking or swaying. It is important to remember that when doing squats it is strictly forbidden to endure even the slightest pain. If doing squats still causes you pain, you should immediately stop the exercise, rest, and if the pain goes away, continue.
Actually, for the same reason, it is most advisable to perform squats in several approaches, so that the muscles have time to rest a little. It is considered optimal to perform three uniform approaches with 10 squats.
Another important point- when squats, your feet must be completely (confidently) on the floor. It is strictly forbidden to lift your legs off the flat surface of the floor (especially if these are squats with weights). When squats, it is not recommended to stand on your tiptoes or on your heels, because such pranks can cause a loss of your balance and, as a result, a fall and injury.
Barbell squats are performed like this:
You cannot “hump” your back while squatting and lifting! This applies to squats without and with a barbell (or any other load) for children, men and women.
Situations when squats are contraindicated
Namely:
- Squats are strictly prohibited if there are serious injuries or diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which can significantly worsen after squats.
- You should not squat (especially with weights) if you have fresh spinal injuries.
- You cannot squat if you have some diseases of the spine, diseases of the leg joints, vascular diseases, and heart diseases.
However, it is important to remember that, having such diseases, you hardly have the right to independently decide whether physical activity, and squats in particular, are acceptable in this case or not. Having a certain diagnosis in the anamnesis, it is most logical to consult with your doctor in advance whether squats can be performed or not, and then exercise stress will only benefit you.
Video about barbell squats from A to Z
(Squats from “A” to “Z”. Konstantin Bublikov)
Be healthy!