Air Squats: Perfect Your Form at Home

Air Squat Exercise Instructions

1. Start with Your Feet Shoulder-Width Apart

   • Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Your toes should be pointing slightly outward, not directly forward.

2. Engage Your Core and Stand Tall

   • Keep your chest lifted and your shoulders back. Engage your core muscles to maintain a straight posture throughout the movement.

3. Lower Into a Squat

   • Begin by pushing your hips back as if you’re sitting into a chair. Bend your knees while keeping your chest upright.
   • Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as low as your flexibility allows).
   • Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes. They should not collapse inward.

4. Keep Your Weight on Your Heels

   • As you squat down, keep your weight distributed over your heels rather than your toes. This helps protect your knees and ensures you use your glutes and hamstrings.

5. Push Back to Standing Position

   • Press through your heels to return to a standing position. Straighten your legs and squeeze your glutes at the top.

6. Repeat

   • Perform the desired number of repetitions, maintaining proper form throughout the entire movement.

Air Squat Exercise Tips

1. Maintain Proper Posture

   • Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders or leaning too far forward. Your chest should stay lifted, and your eyes should be looking forward.

2. Knees Should Track Over Toes

   • As you squat down, ensure that your knees follow the direction of your toes and don’t collapse inward. This reduces strain on your knees and engages the correct muscles.

3. Use Full Range of Motion

   • Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or deeper if flexibility allows. Avoid doing shallow squats as they won’t fully engage your leg muscles.

4. Breathe Properly

   • Inhale as you lower yourself into the squat and exhale as you push back up. Controlled breathing will help you maintain energy and control throughout the exercise.

5. Distribute Weight Correctly

   • Your weight should be on your heels and mid-foot, not on your toes. You should be able to wiggle your toes throughout the squat, ensuring proper weight distribution.

6. Don’t Rush the Movement

   • Focus on controlled, steady movements rather than rushing through repetitions. This ensures proper muscle engagement and helps prevent injury.

7. Keep Your Core Engaged

   • Maintain tension in your core throughout the squat. This helps protect your lower back and stabilize your body.

8. Modify If Necessary

   • If you struggle to maintain balance or depth, you can use a chair or wall for support.
   • For beginners, reducing the squat depth initially and increasing it as flexibility and strength improve is a good strategy.

9. Increase Intensity with Variations

   • Jump Squats: Add a jump at the top of each squat to increase intensity and work on explosiveness.
   • Pistol Squats: Squat on one leg while extending the other leg in front of you to work on balance and strength.
   • Goblet Squats: Hold a weight (like a kettlebell or dumbbell) at chest level for extra resistance.

10. Keep Your Feet Flat

• Avoid lifting your heels off the ground as you squat. Keeping your feet flat ensures proper alignment and balance during the movement.