Unsung Heroes in Exercise and in Life

Do squats and live a better life

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It is not often that the government and noted medical authors agree with me. In this case, they agree that squats are necessary for geezers.

Let me explain. When you are an aged geezer (I know it is a long way off for you … me too … or maybe not for me) and the folks around you are deciding whether you can live on your own they will use a list called the “eight activities of daily living.” The first test on the list is what I have previously explained as the “zero grab rail shitter egress.” Of course, since they are medical professionals, they use a euphemism. They call it toileting. To do “toileting” you have to get on and off the toilet.

I ran across the eight activities of daily living in the book “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. If you are a geezer or you aspire to eventually be a geezer or you know a geezer (that should cover just about everyone) then you should read this book. The book is about medicine and what matters in the final stages of life. The list (page 15 of the book) is one of the tools that medical professionals use to evaluate elderly patients for independence. The list is at the bottom of the article with a couple of sources.

Three of the eight daily living activities benefit directly from squats. Use the toilet, get out of bed, and get out of a chair directly use the muscle groups trained by squats. Dressing, bathing, and walking also benefit, though perhaps less directly, from the strength gained from doing squats. Eating and grooming are the only activities on the list that do not benefit from squat training. There is a good argument that eating does benefit indirectly. Squatting stimulates peristalsis. Peristalsis is very important to eating and to digestion. You can look peristalsis up for a complete medical definition. In a few words, peristalsis is your body keeping the fecal material moving through your bowels. We can all agree that is important. Squatting helps with peristalsis.

What it all means, if you are keeping track of the math, is that seven of the eight daily activities required to remain independent benefit from squat training.

Now is the time to start. It is not viable to wait to do squats when you need them. This is a pay now and benefit later exercise.

In my age cohort (the geezer age cohort that everyone aspires to reach but not right now) some folks say, “I can’t do squats because of this or that reason.”  I believe you if your doctor expressly forbids it. If you can’t squat though, how do you do your “toileting?”

Most of the time though, I do not believe it. People just hate squats. That is understandable. Squats are a repetitive and boring exercise. There is no glamor in doing squats. You can brag about a personal record in the bench press; you can talk about a PR in the deadlift; you can crow about how much weight you can curl. Tell someone that you did an extra set of squats and see how they react. You might as well tell them that you brushed your teeth for an extra thirty seconds. Heck, you are probably bored right now just reading this paragraph.

Squats are the obscure and unsung hero of exercise. Little understood, sometimes reviled, and seldom practiced; squats nonetheless underpin (quite literally) much of daily life. If squats were a movie, they would be The Quiet Man (a great John Wayne movie). If squats had a favorite Bible verse, it would be Matthew 6:5 (look it up). If squats had a favorite inventor, it would be Nikola Tesla (hint, Nikola Tesla did not invent the car; electric or otherwise). Squats are underappreciated.

These are the eight activities of daily living[1] without assistance[2]:

1. Use the toilet

2. Eat

3. Dress

4. Bathe

5. Groom

6. Get out of bed

7. Get out of a chair

8. Walk

Preparation now is the key. Make squats a daily part of your routine.

How to Squat

Crossfit has the best demonstration of a squat. You can see that demonstration at this link.

https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-air-squat

Technique is critical. Do it correctly.

Required Disclaimer.

I’m not a doctor nor am I a physical therapist. Checking with your doctor or physical therapist is always a good idea before starting any new exercise program. I am also not a personal trainer. Use the authoritative sources cited (or others of your choice) to learn how to do the movements properly. Learn to do the movements properly. Doing the movement properly is important to avoid injury.

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[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470404/

[2] Being Mortal by Atul Gawande, page 15, McMillan Publishing Co, NY, 2014