LBS rocks!

[Tuckervill]

(just like you shouldn't squat by pushing your knees out beyond your feet and lifting your heels off the ground)

Knot, can you explain this, please? Because it seems like you've described how 90% of the undeveloped world squats to do their daily tasks.

Karen

[KnottedYet]

Knot, can you explain this, please? Because it seems like you've described how 90% of the undeveloped world squats to do their daily tasks.

Karen

They squat correctly, we're the ones who squat wrong. They keep their knees over their feet and can get all the way to the ground that way. (with feet flat on the ground the whole distance) I've been trying to get the strength and flexibility to do that for years. When I teach squatting to my knee patients, I'm constantly grabbing my boss (from a culture that squats correctly) and having her demonstrate a correct full squat all the way to the ground.

Watch little kids squat, they do it right too.

Once you're on the ground, you can pop your knees any which way.

Turns out proper squatting is also *huge* for pelvic rehab. So I spend an awful lot of time trying to teach patients something I can't do myself!

Fun historical trivia: squatting correctly leaves it's mark on the bones of the leg. Folks from Appalachia used to squat to rest and do tasks. During WW2 the shape of the leg bones was used to help identify the bodies of unknown US soldiers; if they had leg bones that had shapes from squatting they were likely from Appalachia.

[OakLeaf]

Ooooh, can you make a video of your boss (only half kidding)?

Really - how far apart are your feet supposed to be? What direction do your toes and knees point?

[ginny]

Thanks, Knot! I was hoping you would reply to my post. I have really appreciated all the saddle advice you give routinely! I also appreciate that you review the literature for us - I'm a biochemist, and not so sure I want to branch out into human physiology. Your reviews are about all I need. I will try the string trick - thanks again!

[rij73]

For what it's worth, when my saddle was put into the right position, far enough back that my knee was over my foot (tested with a plumb line as Knotted suggests) it felt really different too. I'm so much happier though. The big improvement for me is that there is MUCH less weight on my hands now. Feels better!