Drop it low

The mainstreaming of the squat

What comes to mind when you think of squatting? Maybe it’s weight lifters, red in the face and grunting as they hoist unmanageable loads. If you’re a worldly sort, maybe you picture an Easterner waiting for a bus—yeah, they squat in public. Now, imagine yourself squatting down to socialize in a coffee shop.

Westerners are accustomed to chairs that are close to our butts. Think about it—the car, the classroom, the office, the bathroom—our lives are filled with chairs, couches, benches and props. For most of us, the only time our glutes go to work is walking from chair A to chair B. 

The squat is a natural resting posture for humans. The way infants explore their surroundings reminds us of this fact. Children squat with perfect form and spend considerable time in this position. The squat is also our natural defecation position. If you were in the woods, with no modern comforts, how would you go? Could you poop standing up, or while straining to hold a half-squat at the height of a non-existent chair?

Let’s begin with a bit of anatomy. Standing kinks the end of the gastrointestinal tract to contain waste. The muscle that slings around the rectum, called the puborectalis, causes this restricting curvature. As the hips descend past the knees, this muscle releases and our excretory parts align to do their job. 

Consider the western toilet—that iconic slab of porcelain, that pedestal on which we accomplish so much reading and browsing. People dedicate inordinate amounts of time to No. 2’s due to improper diet and hydration and embarrassment of loud noises. But proper posture and alignment also play a role in healthy evacuation. The typical western toilet elevates the hips, pitting the puborectalis against the natural flow of waste (unless you find that unusually low public pot that induces excretory euphoria). 

The Mayo Clinic recommends spending less time tensed over the toilet and sitting less in general. Sitting and straining brings tension to the anus, pressurizing the vasculature. This can create ballooning in anal veins, AKA hemorrhoids. Getting your ass to the grass relieves tension in the pelvis and allows the ano-rectal tract to align and expand.

Squatting also lengthens and expands the abdomen to support increased flexion at the hip. This encourages full diaphragmatic breathing into the belly and chest, rather than the shallow breathing we develop from constant fight-or-flight tension in modern life.

Deep breathing presses the belly into the front of the legs, gently massaging the bowels and getting things moving. Try it—squat down and find your weight in your heels (use books or shoes under your heels if they float off the floor). Keeping your head sprouted, take a few belly breaths and see if you notice any new movement.

Ready to install your expensive new hole-in-the-ground toilet and start experimenting? Thankfully, you can find affordable props online or construct them at home. You might recall the SquattyPotty’s turn on ABC’s “Shark Tank.” The simple stool—now a mainstream product running $25-$80 at Target—elevates the feet to bring the knees above the hips. For a cheaper alternative, I’ve used yoga blocks, books and cedar post sections to get a deeper squat on the pot.

The patented step-ups come in a range of heights because, let’s face it—some people can drop it lower than others. Just find your comfort level, and increase your depth incrementally. Fast learners can look for adjustable models, or if you’re squatting on stacked books, just add a novel a day!

 Squatting isn’t just for the water closet—play with the position while eating breakfast (I love cracking pistachios on my porch like a caveman), sending morning emails, scanning Instagram or on breaks at the office. Whatever your applications, remember that you might need to use a wedge to make your squat relaxing. 

Zac King is a natural movement instructor at DEEPmovement Studio.

For more from Zac, read his stories on urban movement and why those tight yoga pants are bad for your health.