Squats. They're a staple in any exercise regime and one of the first things a personal trainer or fitness expert will get you to do to test basic fitness levels.
If you've been working out for a while, you might think you know all there is to know about the perfect squat, or even have forgotten about them in order to partake in slightly more exciting exercises.
But according to trainer and host of Newshub podcast Fierce Fitness Nats Levi, the humble squat "is a primal movement pattern we want to learn and it's a good one for everyone to get all those lower body muscles working".
In her AM Show segment 'Fit chats with Nats' on Thursday, Levi taught host Duncan Garner that when it comes to doing a squat, it's "pretty much just sitting up and down off a chair".
"The first thing is to get feet hip width or a little wider than your hips, and that will just help your knees stay in line when we do sit down," she instructed.
"Now all a squat is a break in the hips and a bend in the knees. Just do that to a range that feels comfortable and [continue] up and down."
Garner was the test subject and was quick to ask how many minutes he should be undertaking the exercise.
"Minutes, reps... it's really down to what your training goals are," explained Levi.
She also showed that instead of tipping forward - as Garner was - it's important to move as if you were about to sit back into a chair. This will help "load" into the heels, rather than the toes.
"You want to use the booty a bit more".
Levi showed that even using a chair as a touchpoint behind might help establish the form if you're not sure where you should be sitting back to.
To learn more fitness tips with Nats, watch the full segment.
