Squatting
In some cultures squatting is the preferred method of sitting and is practically an art form. People in those cultures can sustain the posture for lengthy periods of time—astonishing to the average American. Squatting is sometimes advocated for pregnant women as a way to ease the eventual difficulties of labor. When regular squatting is practiced from childhood, the knee suffers no ill effects. However, if you use this motion only occasionally—or incorporate it suddenly into your daily routine—it can cause problems. Certainly you may occasionally squat to pick up an errant sock or a sleeping child from the floor. Mostly, though, squatting in this country occurs during exercise. A well-executed squat is an excellent muscle-toner and muscle stabilizer, but a poorly executed one can create problems. Deep knee bends to a squatting position—once the cornerstone of military inspired exercise regimes—have now been determined to do more harm than good by jamming the patella into the femur, and subluxing (partially dislocating) the femur from the tibia—in this case, slipping the femur over the tibia, outside its normal anatomical placement. Squatting may increase the forces on the knee joint up to eight times body weight.
In some cultures squatting is the preferred method of sitting and is practically an art form. People in those cultures can sustain the posture for lengthy periods of time—astonishing to the average American. Squatting is sometimes advocated for pregnant women as a way to ease the eventual difficulties of labor. When regular squatting is practiced from childhood, the knee suffers no ill effects. However, if you use this motion only occasionally—or incorporate it suddenly into your daily routine—it can cause problems. Certainly you may occasionally squat to pick up an errant sock or a sleeping child from the floor. Mostly, though, squatting in this country occurs during exercise. A well-executed squat is an excellent muscle-toner and muscle stabilizer, but a poorly executed one can create problems. Deep knee bends to a squatting position—once the cornerstone of military inspired exercise regimes—have now been determined to do more harm than good by jamming the patella into the femur, and subluxing (partially dislocating) the femur from the tibia—in this case, slipping the femur over the tibia, outside its normal anatomical placement. Squatting may increase the forces on the knee joint up to eight times body weight.
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