Squatting position

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Vietnamese children squatting Two squatting little girls Vietnam.jpg
Vietnamese children squatting

Squatting is a versatile posture where the weight of the body is on the feet but the knees and hips are bent. In contrast, sitting involves supporting the weight of the body on the ischial tuberosities of the pelvis, with the lower buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal object. The angle between the legs when squatting can vary from zero to widely splayed out, flexibility permitting. Another variable may be the degree of forward tilt of the upper body from the hips. Squatting may be either full or partial.

Contents

A Havasupai man crouching Old Havasupai Indian man crouching on the ground, putting something in his mouth, ca.1900 (CHS-3392).jpg
A Havasupai man crouching

Crouching is usually considered to be synonymous with squatting. It is common to squat with one leg and kneel with the other leg. [1] One or both heels may be up when squatting. Young children often instinctively squat. Among Chinese, [2] Southeast Asian and Eastern European adults, squatting often takes the place of sitting or standing.

Etymology

Squatting comes from the Old French esquatir/escatir, meaning to "compress/press down". [3] The weight-lifting sense of squatting is from 1954. [3]

Resting position

A gopnik "slav squat" Gopnikslav (cropped).jpg
A gopnik "slav squat"

Full squatting involves resting one's weight on the feet with the buttocks resting on the backs of the calves. It may be used as a posture for resting or working at ground level particularly where the ground is too dirty or wet to sit or kneel. [1]

Most Western adults cannot place their heels flat on the ground when squatting because of shortened Achilles tendons which may be caused by habits: [4] [5] [6] [ failed verification ]

For this reason the squatting position is usually not sustainable for them for more than a few minutes as heels-up squatting is a less stable position than heels-down squatting. [7] See also dorsiflexion.

Desmond Morris distinguished seven variant forms of squat as: Squat-kneel; Flat-footed Squat (the Asian squat, [8] or Slav squat); Tiptoe Squat (the Western squat, [9] or heels-raised squat [10] ); Squat-sit; Legs-fold; Lotus position; and Legs Side-curl. [11] [ relevant? ]

Equivalents to the Slav squat (see Gopnik) in Western culture, sometimes with the hands together in a prayer position, are the rap squat, prison pose, and jail pose. They are often used as photographic poses. [12] [13] [14]

Exercise

Strength training

A U.S. Marine Corps officer candidate squatting as an exercise Marine Corps officer candidate participate in physical training.jpg
A U.S. Marine Corps officer candidate squatting as an exercise

In strength training, the squat is a full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body. Squats are considered a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks.

The pistols squat is a one legged squat common in crossfit exercises in which the non-working leg is kept horizontal.

The burpee is a full body exercise used in strength training and as an aerobic exercise that involves a squat. The basic movement is performed in four steps and known as a "four-count burpee".

Mālāsana or upavesasana in yoga

Malasana yoga pose Upavesasana.jpg
Mālāsana yoga pose

Upaveśāsana (literally "sitting down pose"), also known as Mālāsana meaning "garland pose", or simply the yoga squat, is an asana. [15]

The āsana is a squat with heels flat on the floor and hip-width apart (or slightly wider if necessary), toes pointing out on a diagonal. The torso is brought forward between the thighs, elbows are braced against the inside of the knees, and the hands press together in front of the chest in Añjali Mudrā. [16]

Tai Chi

In Taoist Tai Chi, the "Dan Yu" (spine stretching) exercise involves squatting. It is intended to work primarily the pelvic region, the legs and the lower back. Fifty or more repetitions may be performed in advanced classes. The feet are placed in a stance wider than the shoulders. When squatting the knees move in the direction of the feet. [17] [18] [19]

Urinating and defecating

Canis lupus arctos IMG 9100.jpg
A single female wolf leaves her scent in the road during the breeding season (51784666827).jpg
Canidae Vulpes lagopus 6.jpg
Young Fox (16605353545).jpg
Wolves and foxes urinate in a squatting position. [20] [21] [22]

The squatting defecation posture involves squatting by standing with the knees and hips sharply bent and the bare buttocks suspended near the ground. Squat toilets are designed to facilitate this posture and are common in various parts of the world.

When not urinating into a toilet, squatting is the easiest way for a female to direct the urine stream. If done this way, the urine will go forward. Some women use one or both hands to focus the direction of the urine stream, which is more easily achieved while in the squatting position. [23] [ failed verification ]

A partial squatting position (or "hovering") while urinating is often done to avoid sitting on a potentially contaminated toilet seat, but it may leave urine behind in the bladder [24] and it is not good for the pelvic floor muscles. [25]

Canids often urinate in a squatting position, but usually raise their legs while scent marking. [20]

Health

This European woman's heel lifts off the ground when she is squatting. While Caucasians tend to flex the forefoot when kneeling or squatting, East Asians are more likely to keep the foot flat on the ground. 22.7.16 Eurogym 3 136 (28204709000).jpg
This European woman's heel lifts off the ground when she is squatting. While Caucasians tend to flex the forefoot when kneeling or squatting, East Asians are more likely to keep the foot flat on the ground.

In East Asian cultures such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, postures with high flexion including kneeling and squatting are used more often in daily activities, while in North America, people kneel or squat less frequently in daily activities, unless for occupational, religious, or leisure practices. The favored style of those high flexion postures also differs among ethnic groups. While Caucasians tend to flex the forefoot when kneeling or squatting, East Asians are more likely to keep the foot flat on the ground. [10] [26]

In the two common styles of kneeling, the plantarflexed kneel and the dorsiflexed kneel, the lead leg may experience higher adduction and flexion moment, which is associated with increased knee joint loads. [27]

Risk of osteoarthritis

There is increased incidence of knee osteoarthritis among squatters who squat for hours a day for many years. [28] There is evidence that sustained squatting may cause bilateral peroneal nerve palsy. [29] A common name for this affliction is squatter's palsy although there may be reasons other than squatting for this to occur. [30] [31] [29] For societies who rarely squat, squatting as a different posture may bring health benefits. [32]

In patients with tetralogy of Fallot

Toddlers and older children with the congenital heart disease tetralogy of Fallot will often instinctively squat during a "tet spell" (an episode involving a sudden development of blue skin, caused by a drop of oxygen in the blood), allowing more blood to flow to the lungs. [33] Squatting increases systemic vascular resistance and allows for a temporary reversal of the shunt. It increases pressure on the left side of the heart, decreasing the right to left shunt thus decreasing the amount of deoxygenated blood entering the systemic circulation. [34] [35]

Squatting facets

The existence of squatting facets on the distal tibia and talar articular surfaces of skeletons, which result from contact between the two bones during hyperdorsiflexion, have been used as markers to indicate if that person habitually squatted. [36] [37]

Childbirth position

Various people have promoted the adoption of these alternative birthing positions, particularly squatting, for Western countries, such as Grantly Dick-Read, Janet Balaskas, Moysés Paciornik and Hugo Sabatino. The adoption of these alternative positions is also promoted by the natural childbirth movement.

The squatting position gives a greater increase of pressure in the pelvic cavity with minimal muscular effort. The birth canal will open 20 to 30% more in a squat than in any other position. It is recommended for the second stage of childbirth. [38]

In ancient Egypt, women delivered babies while squatting on a pair of bricks, known as birth bricks. [39]

Sexual position

There are versions of the "cowgirl" sex position where a woman is squatting over a man, who is lying on his back, instead of kneeling over him. These are referred to by different names such as Asian cowgirl, frog squat position, and froggystyle. [40] The woman can face forwards [41] or backwards (reverse). [42]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human leg</span> Lower extremity or limb of the human body (foot, lower leg, thigh and hip)

The leg is the entire lower limb of the human body, including the foot, thigh or sometimes even the hip or buttock region. The major bones of the leg are the femur, tibia, and adjacent fibula. There are 60 bones in each leg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitting</span> Resting position of human body weight, primarily supported by buttocks in contact with objects

Sitting is a basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, instead of by the lower limbs as in standing, squatting or kneeling. When sitting, the torso is more or less upright, although sometimes it can lean against other objects for a more relaxed posture.

<i>Seiza</i> Japanese way of sitting

Seiza is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan. It involves a specific positioning and posture in a kneeled position so as to convey respect, particularly toward elders. It developed among samurai during the Edo period and was later widely adopted by the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squat toilet</span> Toilet used by squatting

A squat toilet is a toilet used by squatting, rather than sitting. This means that the posture for defecation and for female urination is to place one foot on each side of the toilet drain or hole and to squat over it. There are several types of squat toilets, but they all consist essentially of a toilet pan or bowl at floor level. Such a toilet pan is also called a "squatting pan". A squat toilet may use a water seal and therefore be a flush toilet, or it can be without a water seal and therefore be a dry toilet. The term "squat" refers only to the expected defecation posture and not any other aspects of toilet technology, such as whether it is water flushed or not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gluteus maximus</span> Largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles

The gluteus maximus is the main extensor muscle of the hip in humans. It is the largest and outermost of the three gluteal muscles and makes up a large part of the shape and appearance of each side of the hips. It is the single largest muscle in the human body. Its thick fleshy mass, in a quadrilateral shape, forms the prominence of the buttocks. The other gluteal muscles are the medius and minimus, and sometimes informally these are collectively referred to as the glutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gait (human)</span> A pattern of limb movements made during locomotion

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squat (exercise)</span> Workout that targets the legs

A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up. Squats also help the hip muscles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kneeling</span> Human position where one or both knees touch the ground

Kneeling is a basic human position where one or both knees touch the ground. According to Merriam-Webster, kneeling is defined as "to position the body so that one or both knees rest on the floor". Kneeling with only one knee, and not both, is called genuflection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taoist tai chi</span> Type of tai chi

Taoist tai chi is a form of tai chi which is taught in more than 25 countries by the non-profit International Taoist Tai Chi Society and associated national Taoist Tai Chi societies. It is a modified form of Yang-style tai chi developed by Taoist monk Moy Lin-shin in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Moy incorporated principles of Liuhebafa and other internal arts to increase the health benefits of practising the form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatomical terms of motion</span> Terms describing animal motion

Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relative to the anatomical position of the body parts involved. Anatomists and others use a unified set of terms to describe most of the movements, although other, more specialized terms are necessary for describing unique movements such as those of the hands, feet, and eyes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turnout (ballet)</span> Ballet position

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Childbirth positions are the physical postures that the pregnant mother may assume during the process of childbirth. They may also be referred to as delivery positions or labor positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vajrasana (yoga)</span> Kneeling asana in modern yoga, a meditation asana in hatha yoga

Vajrasana, Thunderbolt Pose, or Diamond Pose, is a kneeling asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. Ancient texts describe a variety of poses under this name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defecation postures</span> Squatting or sitting to defecate

Humans mostly use one of two types of defecation postures to defecate: squatting and sitting. People use the squatting postures when using squat toilets or when defecating in the open in the absence of toilets. The sitting posture on the other hand is used in toilets that have a pedestal or "throne", where users generally lean forward or sit at 90 degrees to a toilet seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virasana</span> Kneeling posture in modern yoga

Virasana or Hero Pose is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. Medieval hatha yoga texts describe a cross-legged meditation asana under the same name. Supta Virasana is the reclining form of the pose; it provides a stronger stretch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthotics</span> Medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses

Orthotics is a medical specialty that focuses on the design and application of orthoses, sometimes known as braces, calipers, or splints. An orthosis is "an externally applied device used to influence the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems." Orthotists are medical professionals who specialize in designing orthotic devices such as braces or foot orthoses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meditative postures</span> Body positions used in meditation

Meditative postures or meditation seats are the body positions or asanas, usually sitting but also sometimes standing or reclining, used to facilitate meditation. Best known in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are the lotus and kneeling positions; other options include sitting on a chair, with the spine upright.

References

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  3. 1 2 Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of squat. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from https://www.etymonline.com/word/squat
  4. ↑ Kasuyama, Tatsuya; Sakamoto, Masaaki; Nakazawa, Rie (2009). "Ankle Joint Dorsiflexion Measurement Using the Deep Squatting Posture". Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 21 (2). Society of Physical Therapy Science: 195–199. doi:10.1589/jpts.21.195. ISSN   0915-5287.
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  9. ↑ Wang, Fanjia; Zhou, Chenlei; Luo, Lina; Huang, Shangjun; Niu, Wenxin (2021). "Comparison of the Lower Limb Kinematics and Muscle Activation Between Asian Squat and Western Squat". Journal of Medical Biomechanics (in Chinese): E705 –E711. doi:10.16156/j.1004-7220.2021.05.07 (inactive 1 November 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
  10. 1 2 3 Chong, H. (2016). “Do East Asians Achieve Greater Knee Flexion than Caucasian North Americans, and are East Asian Kneeling and Squatting Styles Kinetically Different from North American Norms?”
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  12. ↑ Love, D. (2015, June 24). Has Russia totally reinvented the rap squat? - The Daily Dot.
  13. ↑ Millard, Drew (27 December 2013). "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Rap Squats but Were Afraid to Ask". Vice . Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
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  15. ↑ Lo, Kimberly (9 October 2013). "5 Yoga Tips to Open Up the Hips". elephant journal. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023.
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  17. ↑ Yang Chengfu (1931), Taijiquan Shiyongfa (Application methods of Taijiquan)
  18. ↑ Yang Chengfu (1934), Taijiquan Tiyong Quanshu (Complete Book of the Essence and Applications of Taijiquan)
  19. ↑ Yang Chengfu and Louis Swaim, tr. (2005). The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan. North Atlantic Books. ISBN   978-1-55643-545-4.
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  21. ↑ Elbroch, Mark; McFarland, Casey (23 August 2019). Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   978-0-8117-6778-1.
  22. ↑ Muller-Schwarze, D. (6 December 2012). Chemical Signals: Vertebrates and Aquatic Invertebrates. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN   978-1-4684-1027-3.
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  24. ↑ "Kidney infection – Treatment". nhs.uk. National Health Service. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019. If you have a kidney infection, try not to 'hover' over the toilet seat when you go to the loo because it can result in your bladder not being fully emptied.
  25. ↑ "5 Bathroom Mistakes That Can Lead To Pelvic Floor Dysfunction". HuffPost Canadian version. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2019. Hovering Over The Toilet
  26. ↑ Han, Shuyang; Cheng, Gang; Xu, Peng (1 January 2015). "Three-dimensional lower extremity kinematics of Chinese during activities of daily living". Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation. 28 (2): 327–334. doi:10.3233/BMR-140523. ISSN   1053-8127. PMID   25096318.
  27. ↑ Jensen, L. K. (1 February 2008). "Knee osteoarthritis: influence of work involving heavy lifting, kneeling, climbing stairs or ladders, or kneeling/squatting combined with heavy lifting". Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 65 (2): 72–89. doi:10.1136/oem.2007.032466. ISSN   1351-0711. PMID   17634247. S2CID   8867823.
  28. ↑ Liu, CM; Xu, L (February 2007). "[Retrospective study of squatting with prevalence of knee osteoarthritis]". Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi (in Chinese). 28 (2): 177–9. PMID   17649692.
  29. 1 2 Toğrol, E. (2000). "Bilateral peroneal nerve palsy induced by prolonged squatting". Military Medicine. 165 (3): 240–2. doi:10.1093/milmed/165.3.240. PMID   10741091.
  30. ↑ Macpherson, J M; Gordon, A J (13 August 1983). "Squatter's palsy". BMJ. 287 (6390): 496. doi:10.1136/bmj.287.6390.496-a. ISSN   0959-8138. PMC   1548703 . PMID   6411186.
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  32. ↑ Spinks, Rosie (9 November 2017). "The forgotten art of squatting is a revelation for bodies ruined by sitting". Quartz (publication) . p. 1. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  33. ↑ "Tetralogy of Fallot - Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  34. ↑ Murakami T (2002). "Squatting: the hemodynamic change is induced by enhanced aortic wave reflection". Am. J. Hypertens. 15 (11): 986–88. doi: 10.1016/S0895-7061(02)03085-6 . PMID   12441219.
  35. ↑ Guntheroth, Warren G.; Mortan, Beverly C.; Mullins, Gay L.; Baum, David (1968). "Venous return with knee-chest position and squatting in tetralogy of Fallot". American Heart Journal. 75 (3). Elsevier BV: 313–318. doi:10.1016/0002-8703(68)90087-2. ISSN   0002-8703. PMID   5638470.
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