We’ve referenced this (excellent) video before, but never actually put it under the spotlight in one of these features, so here we go!

Deep squats

It’s about deep squats, also called Slav squats, Asian squats, sitting squats, resting squats, or various other names. However, fear not; you don’t need to be Slavic or Asian to do it; you just need to practice.

As for why this is called “anti-aging”, by the way, it’s because being able to get up off the ground is one of the main tests of age-related mobility decline, and if you can deep-squat comfortably, then you can do that easily. And so long as you continue being able to deep-squat comfortably, you’ll continue to be able to get up off the ground easily too, because you have the strength in the right muscles, as well as the suppleness, comfort with range of motion, and balance (those stabilizing muscles are used constantly in a deep squat, whereas Western lifestyle sitting leaves those muscles very neglected and thus atrophied).

Epidemiological note: chairs, couches, and assorted modern conveniences reduce the need for squatting in daily life, leading to stiffness in joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Many adults in developed countries struggle with deep squats due to lack of use, not aging. Which is a problem, because a lack of full range of motion in joints causes wear and tear, leading to chronic pain and degenerative joint diseases. People in countries where squatting is a common resting position have lower incidences of osteoarthritis, for example—contrary to what some might expect, squatting does not harm joints but rather protects them from arthritis and knee pain. Strengthening leg muscles through squatting can alleviate knee pain, whereas knee pain is often worsened by inactivity.

Notwithstanding the thumbnail, which is showing an interim position, one’s feet should be flat on the ground, by the way, and one’s butt should be nearby, just a few inches off the ground (in other words, the position that we see her in for most of this video).

Troubleshooting: if you’re accustomed to sitting in chairs a lot, then this may be uncomfortable at first. Zuzka advises us to go gently, and/but gradually increase our range of motion and (equally importantly) duration in the resting position.

You can use a wall or doorway to partially support you, at first, if you struggle with mobility or balance. Just try to gradually use it less, until you’re comfortable deep-squatting with no support.

Since this is not an intrinsically very exciting exercise, once you build up the duration for which you’re comfortable deep-squatting, it can be good to get in the habit of “sitting” this way (i.e. deep squatting, still butt-off-the-floor, but doing the job of sitting) while doing other things such as working (if you have an appropriate work set-up for that*), reading, or watching TV.

*this is probably easiest with a laptop placed on an object/surface of appropriate height, such as a coffee table or such. As a bonus, having your hands in front of you while working will also bring your center of gravity forwards a bit, making the position easier and more comfortable to maintain. This writer (hi, it’s me) prefers her standing desk for work in general, with a nice ergonomic keyboard and all that, but if using a laptop from time to time, then squatting is a very good option.

In terms of working up duration, if you can only manage seconds to start with, that’s fine. Just do a few more seconds each time, until it’s 30, 60, 120, and so on until it’s 5 minutes, 10, 15, and so on.

You can even start that habit-forming while you’re still in the “seconds at a time” stage! You can deep-squat just for some seconds while you:

• pick up something from the floor
• check on something in the oven
• get something out of the bottom of the fridge

…etc!

For more on all this, plus many visual demonstrations including interim exercises to get you there if it’s difficult for you at first, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

Mobility For Now & For Later: Train For The Marathon That Is Your Life!

Take care!

Cori Lefkowith, of “Redefining Strength” and “Strength At Any Age” fame, has advice:

As easy as 1, 2, 3?

Any kind of fat loss plan will not work unless it takes into account that the body can and will adapt to a caloric deficit, meaning that constantly running a deficit will only ever yield short term results, followed by regaining weight (and feeling hungry the whole time). So, instead, if fat loss is your goal, you might want to consider doing it in these stages:

1. Lifestyle adjustments (main phase)

Focus on sustainable, gradual improvements in diet and workouts.

• Key strategies:
  • Start with small, manageable changes, for example focusing on making your protein intake around 30–35% of your total calories.
  • Track your current habits to identify realistic adjustments.
  • Balance strength training and cardio, as maintaining your muscle is (and will remain) important.
• Signs of Progress:
  • Slow changes in the numbers on the scale (up to 1 lb/week).
  • Inches being lost (but probably not many), improved energy levels, and stable performance in workouts.

Caution: avoid feelings of extreme hunger or restriction. This is not supposed to be arduous.

2. Mini cut (short-term intensive)

Used for quick fat loss or breaking plateaus; lasts 7–14 days.

• Key strategies:
  • Larger calorie deficit (e.g: 500 calories).
  • High protein intake (40–50% of your total calories).
  • Focus on strength training and reduce cardio, to avoid muscle loss.
• Signs of Progress:
  • Rapid scale changes (up to 5 lbs/week).
  • Reduced bloating, potential energy dips, and cravings.
  • Temporary performance stagnation in workouts. Don’t worry about this; it’s expected and fine.

Caution: do not exceed 21 days, to avoid the metabolic adaptation that we talked about.

3. Diet break (rest & reset)

A maintenance period to recharge mentally and physically, typically lasting 7–21 days.

• Key strategies:
  • Gradually increase calories (200–500) to maintenance level.
  • Focus on performance goals and reintroducing foods you enjoy.
  • Combine strength training with steady-state cardio.
• Signs of Progress:
  • Increased energy, improved workout performance, and feeling fuller.
  • Scale may fluctuate initially but stabilize or decrease by the end.
  • Inches will be lost as muscle is built and fat is burned.

The purpose of this third stage is to prevent metabolic adaptation, regain motivation, and (importantly!) test maintenance.

For more on these and how best to implement them, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like to read:

Can We Do Fat Redistribution?

Take care!