{"id":104056,"date":"2025-10-27T21:09:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T21:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/104056\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T21:09:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T21:09:07","slug":"the-simple-squat-you-should-do-every-day-to-protect-your-body-as-you-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/104056\/","title":{"rendered":"The simple squat you should do every day to protect your body as you age"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s normal and natural for bodies to change as they age. Even healthy bodies experience a gradual decline in muscle mass<\/a> and bone density as they get older \u2013 it\u2019s part of life. However, there are ways to support your body through ageing to help you maintain strength<\/a> and mobility<\/a> \u2013 namely, by moving it.<\/p>\n

Walking<\/a>, for instance, is widely considered a powerful anti-ageing intervention that research suggests<\/a> can reduce the risk of chronic age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Another activity acclaimed for its ability to slow ageing? Strength training<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Research published in the journal Biology<\/a> last year found that 90 minutes of strength training a week was associated with a lower biological age \u2013 a reduction of nearly four years. There\u2019s one exercise in particular, however, that personal trainer and former orthopaedic surgeon Dr Kate Ella<\/a> does every single day to delay ageing and protect her body as she gets older \u2013 and it\u2019s so simple, she does it in her pyjamas while brushing her teeth. <\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

\u2018By doing this exercise consistently I feel stronger and fitter so that everyday life is easier (and more fun),\u2019 she says. \u2018It allows me to take the opportunities that come my way, whether that\u2019s climbing a hill or a climbing wall, and swimming<\/a> in the sea or the aquapark.\u2019<\/p>\n

Introducing: the high-heeled squat.
<\/p>\n

What is the high-heeled squat?<\/p>\n

Picture your standard bodyweight squat \u2013 feet are hip-width apart, you bend at the knees and lower until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor, only you don\u2019t drive back up through your whole foot. Instead, you shift your weight to your toes and rise on the balls of your feet. This is a high-heeled squat.<\/p>\n

What are the benefits of doing high-heeled squats?<\/p>\n

There are a number of reasons Dr Kate Ella incorporates the high-heeled squat into her daily routine:<\/p>\n

\u2022 It helps to improve balance by strengthening the ankles and feet, and teaching the body how to move safely when it has less stability (in this case, because the weight is in the balls of the feet). \u2018Balance is something I\u2019m particularly aware of as a former orthopaedic surgeon who\u2019s treated 100s of broken hips,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It builds thigh and glute strength<\/a>. \u2018This is key to making sure you can get off the floor in your 80s,\u2019 Dr Kate Ella says. That said, progressive overload<\/a> is important for building strength and muscle so, if you are able to, consider including additional strength training exercises in your routine, such as deadlifts<\/a> and weighted squats, and gradually increasing the difficulty over time.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It builds vastus medialis strength. \u2018This is an important muscle to stabilise your knees and help with knee pain<\/a>, which affects so many of us as we get older,\u2019 says Dr Kate Ella.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It builds calf strength. This, Dr Kate Ella says, is crucial for walking mechanics \u2018so that you can push off when taking a step and it doesn\u2019t feel like you\u2019re walking through mud.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2022 It improves ankle stability and mobility. \u2018This is essential for getting around and getting down to the ground, and something I’m very aware of having spent a year researching broken ankles for my MD.’<\/p>\n

\u2022 It improves core strength<\/a>. Shifting your weight into the balls of your feet while at the bottom of the movement, and then returning to standing without lowering your heels to the ground, requires core engagement. <\/p>\n

\u2018Because it helps with balance, leg and core strength and ankle mobility, I’ve recommended this exercise to so many clients \u2013 even my mother, who’s a great example of how movement can help give us back the confidence that’s easy to lose as we get older,\u2019 says Dr Kate Ella.<\/p>\n

How to do the high-heeled squat exercise<\/p>\n

a) Start with a controlled squat like you\u2019re about to sit down on an invisible chair.<\/p>\n

b) Then, lift your heels off the ground like you\u2019re wearing high heels.<\/p>\n

c) Staying on tiptoes, push back up to standing.<\/p>\n

d) Finish by lowering your heels back down to the ground, then repeat.<\/p>\n

Dr Kate Ella recommends performing the high-heeled squat exercise for one minute at a time, whenever you can fit it in throughout the day \u2013 while brushing your teeth, waiting for the kettle to boil, or watching TV.<\/p>\n

High-heeled squat modifications<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to the exercise and are struggling to maintain balance, Dr Kate Ella advises keeping your heels planted to begin with. \u2018Then, when you feel ready to progress to lifting your heels, you can hold on to a stable surface for balance.\u2019 <\/p>\n

You could also incorporate a chair if you need a little more support with your squat \u2013 simply lower onto the chair, then return to standing.<\/p>\n

Once you feel confident performing the high-heeled squat, Dr Kate Ella suggests trying it in reverse. \u2018From standing, rise up onto your tiptoes then, remaining on your tiptoes, squat down, before releasing your heels and returning to standing.’
<\/p>\n

Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Abbi Henderson is a freelance journalist and social media lead who covers health, fitness, women\u2019s sport and lifestyle for titles including Women’s Health, Stylist and Marie Claire.<\/p>\n

Before settling in a British seaside town, she spent a couple of years living in Canada, where she contributed to publications such as Best Health, Foodism and Canadian Living, and discovered she is, in fact, a little outdoorsy.<\/p>\n

With a desire to help make healthcare, exercise and sport more accessible to women, she writes about everything from the realities of seeking medical support as a woman to those of being a female athlete fighting for equality.<\/p>\n

She has a personal trainer qualification, a couple of medals from her short time in competitive Irish dancing, and an Arsenal Women season ticket. When she\u2019s not in front of a screen working, she enjoys weightlifting, going for walks and stopping for little treats (matchas and pastries), and trying new recipes (that are almost always pasta-based).\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s normal and natural for bodies to change as they age. Even healthy bodies experience a gradual decline…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104057,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[5218,75506,2117,565,134,2116,111,139,69,75505],"class_list":{"0":"post-104056","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-default","9":"tag-contentid-bd544f00-007d-4c2e-bbd0-311290a61377","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-locale-gb","14":"tag-new-zealand","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-shorttitle-the-simple-squat-you-should-do-every-day"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}