Type: Legs · Difficulty: Beginner
Muscles worked: thighs (quadriceps), glutes and core (abs).
The basic leg movement: sitting down and standing back up, with no equipment. It is the starting point for every leg variation.
The positions
The steps
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart, pointing straight ahead or turned slightly outward, whichever is comfortable for your hips. What matters: during the movement, your knees follow the direction of your feet.
- Brace your abs, then lower yourself by pushing your hips back, as if sitting down on a chair.
- Keep your heels on the floor and your back straight, knees in line with your feet.
- Go down until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.
- Push through your heels to stand back up, and squeeze your glutes once at the top.
Why this exercise
- Sitting down and standing up is the movement you do most often in a day: a chair, stairs, getting up off the floor. Keeping it strong means keeping your independence.
- It works the largest muscles in the body, the thighs and the glutes. They are the ones that protect your knees and your back every day.
- It also maintains mobility in the hips, knees and ankles, which keep their full range of motion.
Common mistakes
- Heels lifting off: keep your whole foot on the floor, weight spread across the whole foot.
- Knees caving inward: push them slightly outward, in line with your feet.
- Back rounding: keep your back straight and your chest up through the whole movement.
- The half descent: go down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, that is where your legs work the most.
Adjust the difficulty
- Easier: go less low at first, or sit down on a chair and stand back up.
- Harder: lunges and Bulgarian split squats.
In case of pain
Stop the exercise as soon as you feel pain. Muscle fatigue is normal, pain is not. If the pain comes back or persists, see a health professional.
