This weekly workout is brought to you by Anna Bernard, a fitness specialist, at the Woman’s Center for Wellness. 

Squat exercises are one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health. By correctly doing and incorporating squats into your exercise routine you’ll build a stronger body with improved core strength, which translates to better overall performance.

This lower body move primarily focuses on the hips, glutes, hamstrings and quads. It also indirectly works the abs and you may feel increased strength in your tendons and ligaments from squatting.

The sit to stand is a simple and effective exercise that can easily be done at home or even at work.

We recommend performing three sets of 10 to 12 reps. For a more advanced workout, look below.

The squat press is a more advanced version of the sit to stand that incorporates the upper body. Squat presses can be done using weights or a house hold item, such as a gallon of laundry detergent or jug of water.

We recommend performing three sets of 10 to 12 reps. For a more advanced workout, look below.

For a more advanced version of the squat, incorporate the squat jump into your routine. Squat jumps are a high intensity, plyometric exercise great for increasing the heart rate.

We recommend performing three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Although the squat can provide a multitude of health benefits, if done incorrectly it can cause more harm than good. We suggest starting at a beginner level and work up to more advanced exercises. Be sure to pay close attention to your form while performing squats. For more information, feel free to contact one of our personal trainers at the Woman’s Center for Wellness.

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