As a personal trainer, one of my movement assessments doesn’t involve barbells, treadmills, or complicated fitness tests. Instead, I simply ask someone to squat down as low as they can and stay there comfortably.
What does this achieve? Well read on and find out.
Some people sink effortlessly into a deep squat, heels flat on the floor, hips resting close to their ankles. They can hold a conversation, scroll through their phone, or simply relax in the position. Others struggle almost immediately. Their heels lift, they wobble backwards, their knees feel tight, or their hips refuse to descend any further.
This position is commonly known as the “Asian squat,” although the more technically accurate name is a deep squat or resting squat. The name reflects the fact that the posture remains common throughout many Asian countries, where people still use it naturally while waiting, cooking, gardening, working outdoors, or simply resting.
What many people don’t realise is that this isn’t just an Eastern movement pattern. It is one of the oldest and most natural human postures in history.
A Posture Older Than the Chair
Long before chairs became a feature of everyday life, humans spent significant amounts of time squatting. Anthropologists believe that for much of human history, the deep squat served many of the functions that chairs serve today. People rested, socialised, prepared food, worked, and even ate food while squatting.
Across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and parts of Latin America, the resting squat remained part of daily life well into the modern era and, in many places, still does. In countries where floor-based living, outdoor work, and squat toilets remain common, the ability to rest comfortably in a deep squat is often retained throughout adulthood.
The widespread use of chairs is actually a relatively recent development when viewed against the backdrop of human evolution. For thousands of years, the deep squat was not considered an exercise, a mobility drill, or a fitness challenge. It was simply a normal way to sit.
Why Have So Many Western Adults Lost the Ability?
If deep squatting is such a natural human movement, why do so many adults in Western cultures struggle to perform it?
The answer lies largely in how modern life has changed the way we move.
Most adults spend the majority of their waking hours seated. We sit while travelling to work, sit at desks, sit during meetings, sit while eating, and sit while relaxing in the evening. The body is highly adaptable and gradually moulds itself to the positions we use most frequently.
Years of sitting can leave the hips less mobile, the ankles stiffer, and the muscles responsible for stabilising the body through a full range of motion less active. Just as importantly, the nervous system becomes less familiar with the deep squat position.
In simple terms, we stop practising the movement and eventually lose confidence in it.
It’s Rarely About the Knees
One of the most common things I hear from clients is, “My knees won’t let me squat.”
In reality, the knees are often taking the blame for restrictions elsewhere in the body.
To achieve a comfortable deep squat, the ankles need enough mobility to allow the knees to move forward while the heels stay firmly planted on the floor. When ankle mobility is limited, people often compensate by lifting their heels or falling backwards.
The hips also need sufficient flexibility and range of motion to allow the pelvis to drop between the legs. Tight hips can make the squat feel cramped, unstable, or simply impossible.
Balance is another overlooked factor. Many adults have not spent meaningful time in a deep squat for years, so even if the mobility is available, the position can feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
Restoring Mobility to the Hips
The good news is that the ability to deep squat can often be improved with consistent practice.
One of the first areas I focus on is hip mobility. The modern seated lifestyle leaves many people with tight hip flexors and limited rotational movement around the hip joint.
Exercises such as 90/90 hip rotations are excellent for restoring internal and external hip rotation. Butterfly stretches can help improve flexibility through the groin and inner thighs, while deep lunge stretches target the hip flexors that often become shortened after years of desk-based work.
These movements help create the space needed for the hips to descend more comfortably into a deep squat position. I demonstrate them in the videos below. Give them a try and see how you progress.
Don’t Ignore Your Ankles
While people often focus on their hips, ankle mobility is frequently the missing piece of the puzzle.
A simple calf wall stretch can help improve the ability of the ankle to move forward over the foot while keeping the heel down. Consistent calf stretching can also make a significant difference, particularly for people who spend long periods sitting or wearing shoes with elevated heels.
It’s often surprising how much easier squatting becomes when the ankles regain their natural range of motion.
Easing into Mastering the Deep Squat
Mobility exercises are valuable, but they are only part of the solution.
If you want to become comfortable in a deep squat, you need to spend time there.
One of the most effective methods is the assisted squat to stand. Holding onto a bench, RXT suspension straps, or sturdy support allows you to settle into the position without worrying about balance. This gives the body an opportunity to relax and gradually adapt.
As mobility improves, many people find they can spend longer periods in the squat and rely less on external support.
Respect Your Individual Anatomy
It’s important to understand that no two squats will look exactly alike.
The shape of the hip sockets, the length of the femurs, ankle structure, and overall body proportions all influence how a person squats. Some individuals will naturally appear more upright, while others may need a slightly wider stance or different foot position.
The goal is not to force yourself into a picture-perfect squat seen on social media. The goal is to develop the mobility, strength, and control that allows your body to squat comfortably and safely.
Rediscovering a Natural Human Movement
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Asian squat is that it reminds us of something we’ve forgotten rather than something we need to learn.
If your a parent of young children, spend some time watching them play and you’ll often see them drop naturally into a perfect deep squat without any coaching or instruction. The movement is already there.
For many adults, regaining the ability to squat deeply is less about learning a new skill and more about reclaiming a natural movement pattern that modern life has gradually encouraged us to abandon.
In an age where we spend more time seated than any generation before us, the ability to rest comfortably in a deep squat represents far more than flexibility. It reflects mobility, balance, strength, and resilience.
The Asian squat is not merely a thing that “them foreigners” do, or a new age fitness trend. It is a reminder that the human body evolved to move in ways that many of us rarely experience today. With patience, practice, and a little mobility work, most adults can rediscover a position that once came naturally to every one of us.
Try some of our stretching exercises and let us know how you get on.
“Strength for Life
Davie
Davie McConnachie
Davie McConnachie is an award-winning coach, entrepreneur, speaker and founder of DMC Fitness. Since 2015, he has helped thousands of people transform their health, build strength, improve performance and develop a lifelong relationship with fitness.
Through his own experiences of adversity, recovery and personal growth, Davie has developed a coaching philosophy centred on resilience, self-mastery and sustainable progress. His mission is simple: to help people become stronger, healthier and more capable in every area of life while falling in love with fitness along the way.
Strength for Life.
