Walking Squats: Feel the Burn

I’m itching for a workout. It’s been, oh, forever since I last went to the gym, and my knees are starting to feel it. First there was the PRP that sidelined me for a couple weeks. Then there was the cold and cough that left me feeling sick for another week. Then I had that 10-day headache. Then I spent the weekend in Philadelphia. Then there’s my big move this weekend. And then there was that treadmill revolution at the gym, so it was closed for six days.

OK, I was lying about the last one. The point is, I have a lot of excuses. So until I actually get this butt off the couch and into a gym, I figure I’ll just blog about exercises I should be doing. The one I’m writing about tonight strengthens the hips and butt—and if you do it right, you should feel a burn tomorrow even if you don’t have knee pain.

Here’s why I picked a hip- and butt-strengthening move instead of something that targets the quads: Most doctors and knee recovery Web sites remind the injured that strengthening the quads is the key to keeping the knee in line. I knew that way, way back when. But it wasn’t until my third go at PT that I learned how important total body strengthening was for giving my muscles balance. (Read more about that here.)

I was also pretty shocked at how wimpy my hip and butt muscles were. And when I say wimpy I mean I yelped a little when sitting down the day after doing the exercise for the first time. Go ahead, laugh. Just know that I’ll be snickering over here as you mosey like a cowboy the day after.

Enough with the suspense. Here’s how you do walking squats with a resistance band. Try it out and then tell me how amazingly awesome and fit you feel. Maybe it’ll push me to get back into my routine.

Walking Squats with a Resistance Band
You’ll need: A resistance band. Most brands (like this one) offer multiple colors that represent different strengths.
You’ll do: Two sets of 40 steps for each leg/side of your body. Or as many steps as you can fit in from one end of your room to the next.

1. Tie a resistance band into a loop around your calves. When you stand with legs hip-width apart, the band should be tight around your legs.
2. Stand with legs hip-width apart, and squat. Your knees should be in line with your toes. If your knees move over your toe line, you’ll put too much strain on them.
3. While squatting, step with your right foot to the side. You should feel the tension of the band as your stance becomes wider.
4. Still squatting, step your left foot closer to your right while keeping the resistance band taut. The band should never become loose around your calves.
5. Continue stepping to the right side for 40 steps or until you hit the end of your room. You should remain in a squat for the duration.
6. Flip so you’re facing the opposite direction and side step your way across the room, leading with your left foot. Keep squatting throughout.
7. Repeat the squat-walk again for each side.