Kwa squat

[Anonymous]

Hi Paul great course! Regarding the kwa squat:
I’ve tried following along with the kwa squat videos both from week 1 and week 3 but can’t seem to drop the sacrum and bend down without feeling pain and tension in my knees. I’ve gotten all the alignments down in standing so I think my knees might just be inflexible. Unfortunately there are no energy arts instructors where I’m located in Boulder, CO to guide me. So any advice or should I just skip the kwa squat exercises?

[Anonymous]

If you’re sure your standing alignments are good and that
your knees are not going forward of your toes, they don’t cave in or spread out
and you have some space in the back of your knees, then it sounds like you’re
losing your alignments during motion. This
is an extremely common scenario.

To begin, when you squat down, your bodyweight should
naturally go to your heels. If not, you know you are pushing your knees
forward, which would cause pain and problems. When you rise, your bodyweight
should come forward to the balls of your feet, which prevents the knees from
going backwards. It is also possible that your knees cave in when squatting down,
which can cause pain. The best thing you can do is get someone to check if your
knees are moving, backwards, forwards, in or out. The knees remain absolutely
still in space throughout the whole squat. Always operate within your 70% and
don’t push your body.

I’ve got more than a dozen blogs on posture (including info on squatting and video demonstrations) on my blog, which may also be useful, for
example see http://www.circlewalking.com/111/improve-posture/ or the whole
category at http://www.circlewalking.com/category/improve-posture/.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot Paul I got something to measure my knees against and can now do the squat with no knee pain. Also I want to clarify something. When I take my standing alignments the point when my thighs start supporting me leaves my legs pretty straight so its hard to not to have my shoulders go forward or lose my balance. So should I bend my knees more when I do the kwa squat but not past the ball of my foot?

Thanks, Jon

[Anonymous]

Jon, I’m glad to hear your knees are not giving you any more pain. Please make sure that whatever you’re using to measure your knees against is light and easily moves. If you use something solid or heavy, it will build up resistance in your knees that can create serious issues. The lighter the object, the more refined your squat will become and the more benefit you will gain.

As for your balance issue, it sounds to me that when you take your knees off of lock, you’re leaning backwards with your torso, which is why you’re losing your balance. Keep your spine vertical, your bodyweight centred over the arches of your feet and your knees over the balls of your feet. Then, there is no adjustment to be made when you do your kwa squat.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Paul! Finding it much easier to do the kwa squat and staying within 70% rule. The kwa squat practice video was also extremely helpful.

[Author]

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