What if one of the most important exercises for staying independent as you age is something you already do every day? Air squats.
You might not think of sitting down on the toilet or standing back up as exercise, but that simple movement is essentially a squat. Every time you lower yourself onto the toilet and stand back up, you’re using your hips, legs, and core to move your body through space. Being able to perform an air squat with good technique means more than checking an exercise off your workout—it means maintaining the strength, mobility, balance, and coordination you need for everyday life.
The squat is a safe and natural human movement when performed correctly, and practicing it regularly can help you continue doing the things you want to do independently as you get older.
How to Perform an Air Squat Correctly
An air squat uses your body weight, so you don’t need a barbell, dumbbells, or fancy equipment. But proper technique matters. Here are the basic steps:
- Stand tall: Place your feet approximately shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned slightly outward. Keep your chest comfortably upright and your eyes looking forward.
- Brace your core: Take a breath and gently tighten your midsection as if someone were about to give you a light tap in the stomach.
- Start with your hips: Push your hips back as if you’re reaching for a chair behind you.
- Bend your knees: Allow your knees to bend naturally while keeping them tracking in the same direction as your toes.
- Squat down: Lower yourself under control, keeping your heels planted on the floor and your chest in a strong position.
● Stand up: Push through your entire foot and drive your hips forward as you return to a standing position.
● Finish tall: Stand fully upright with your hips and knees extended before beginning the next repetition.
Think about making every repetition look like a smooth, controlled version of sitting down and standing back up from a chair.
Watch This Video: Air Squat Demonstration
Seeing the movement can make proper technique much easier to understand. Watch this video for a demonstration of the air squat and the key points to focus on while performing the movement.
What Can Go Wrong?
Just because the air squat is a natural movement doesn’t mean you should simply crank out hundreds of repetitions without paying attention to technique. Performing squats incorrectly can create unnecessary stress and make the movement less effective.
Some common movement faults include:
- Knees collapsing inward: Allowing the knees to cave toward each other can place unnecessary stress on the knees and reduce your ability to generate force efficiently.
- Heels coming off the floor: Lifting the heels can indicate limitations in ankle mobility or poor positioning and can make the squat less stable.
- Losing control of your torso: Rounding or collapsing through your back while squatting can make it harder to maintain a strong, stable position and may increase unnecessary strain.
The good news? These issues can often be improved with coaching, modifications, and practice.
How to Get Started With Air Squats
If you’re new to exercise, start small. You don’t need to perform 100 air squats on your first day. The goal is to practice quality movement, not simply accumulate repetitions.
Try this simple workout:
3 Rounds:
● 10 Air Squats
● 10 Glute Bridges
● 30-Second Walk or March in Place
● Rest 60–90 seconds
Move slowly and focus on making every air squat look the same. If 10 repetitions are challenging, start with 5. You can also use a box, bench, or chair behind you as a target to help control your depth and build confidence.
As you become stronger and more comfortable, you can gradually increase the number of repetitions or incorporate air squats into more challenging workouts.
Keep Squatting for Life
Air squats may look simple, but they represent something much bigger than an exercise. They are practice for living independently. Getting off the toilet, standing from a chair, picking something up, getting out of the car, and moving through everyday life all require strength and control through your hips and legs.
The goal isn’t simply to be able to do an air squat in the gym. The goal is to keep doing the things you love outside the gym for as long as possible.
At Hammock Coast CrossFit in Pawleys Island, our coaches can help you learn proper air squat technique, identify movement limitations, and find the right modifications for your current ability. Whether you’re brand new to exercise or have been working out for years, good coaching can help you move better and build strength safely.
Ready to learn how to squat with confidence? Book your free No Sweat Intro and let’s talk about your goals.