Wild Moving: The Hunter-Gatherer Squat

Those who have been on a Wildfitness course in the past 6 months will know that our new favourite position is what we like to call “The Hunter-Gatherer Squat”. So what is it and why is it so very good?

The common sense

Squatting, the natural way to “sit”, is great for our bodies. It’s just a simple, age-old, self-sufficient, natural, sustainable mode of deportment that doesn’t rely on any man-made object but on the health and mobility of our own bodies.

The evolutionary logic

For thousands of years, humans didn’t have chairs. We didn’t have them on the African savannah and even for many years after the first chairs were around, they were only used for special occasions of state. Instead of sitting on chairs we would walk, run, jump, climb and generally move our bodies. And when we did gather round with our pals to rest and gossip and eat, we would squat. If you have travelled to Asia and parts of Africa you will have seen that the squat is still a massively popular position to hang out in. People squat to work, eat, drink, give birth and of course, poo. We may think it is more civilised and comfortable to sit in a chair but our bodies would disagree. Our bodies were never designed to stay in one position for as long as we often spend seated in chairs (maybe 5, 6, even 10 hours a day?!) so anytime we can squat instead of sit in a chair our bodies will be grateful for the change.

The science

Scientific studies also throws light on the fact that:

1. Squatting instead of using a sitting toilet makes elimination faster, easier and more complete.

2. Daily squatting helps prepare one for a more natural delivery (of babies).

Is it relevant to us?

Squatting opens up the hip and the groin area and maintains good hip flexion which in turn helps prevent injury. This is particularly useful for runners who often complain of tightness in the hip area. Squatting is also good for your back, decompressing and opening the lumbar spine and squatting maintains good range of motion in the knees, ankles and feet. Being able to squat easily will also have massive carry over to your general athleticism: the squat is required for jumping, running and lifting (think of the impressive squat of an Olympic weight-lifter).

What to do

The trouble is if we don’t use it, we lose it. Kids will instinctively, easily squat but as we get older (and have clocked up the hours in chairs) it can become increasingly difficult. First try squatting and see how comfortable you find it and how low you can go. To start with you may not have the flexibility in your feet and ankles to have your feet flat on the floor, so try a small support under the heels, maybe a rolled up towel or blanket or squat with your heels on a small doorstep. Gradually, as you get more comfortable in the posture, you will be able to lower the height of your support so that eventually your heels will be flat on the floor. The more time you spend in the position the more comfortable it will become so try and fit as much squatting as you can into your day to keep improving your squat-ability. Maybe squat while watching TV or reading ‘Healthy U’ in the morning. Squat so you’re at the same level when talking to kids (unless you are very short already) or squat while gardening. Maybe even squat at the bus-stop or while waiting for your train. If you feel a bit silly just think how smug you’ll be when you’re a super flexible, non-creaky 80 yr old.