Healthy Exercise: Squats

Long before we became civilized, the squat was the ideal way to sit.  Today, most people spend over 9 hours a day in a chair. As a result, many have lost the ability to sit the way in which we are meant to. Before relying on chairs, a person would go down into and up from the squatting position many times during the course of the day.  In modern life, however, most people never squat, because there's no need for it. I believe this is one of the reasons that back problems have also reached epidemic proportions. The movement required to squat is essential for the strength and mobility of your pelvis, hips, and lower spine, thus providing a strong and stable foundation for your entire spinal column. The health benefits apparently go even further, including improvements in bowel function, among others. Since modern living does not require us to squat, the bodyweight squat is an essential exercise that everyone should do at least 3 times per week.  If you are not able to do this simple exercise, you should consult with a professional fitness instructor, such as a biokineticist, personal trainer, Pilates instructor, or yoga instructor, to re-learn this very important movement and sitting position.  So keep squatting while you still can, and your whole body will reward you.

If you haven't been able to squat in a long time, the following is great article how to regain the mobility:
http://www.katysays.com/you-dont-know-squat/

For more information:
http://www.outlawfitnesshq.com/the-15-benefits-of-squats/
http://hashimashi.com/top-8-benefits-squats

You can also watch this video describing the proper form for a bodyweight squat: