The squat is a fantastic exercise. It is great for strengthening the legs and for burning fat. This is because it uses lots of different muscles if done correctly. Squats are an exercise everyone should be doing and they can be done anywhere. Here is an explanation of how to do them and how to make the exercise easier or more difficult.

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
  

• Breathe in and tense your core muscles.
• Start the exercise by sending the hips first. Keep bending your hips as you start to bend your knees.
• Keep your head facing forward, looking straight ahead. Keep your chest and shoulders up and keep your back straight.
• Squat as far down as you are able. If your backs starts to round or your heels come off the ground, stop and return to the start position by pushing through your heels.

If you have not squatted before you should practice first with a chair or box. Squat down so that your bottom touches the chair (but don't put all your weight onto the chair!) and then straighten back up. Once you can do this, use a lower box to squat onto, and you can keep on using a lower and lower box.

While doing this it is important to look in a mirror (or get a friend to watch) and check your form. From the side make sure that your back remains flat and doesn't start to curve as you go down. From the front make sure your knees do not bend inwards.

Once you have good squatting technique you can start making it more difficult:

1. Sumo Squat - Have your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and have your toes pointed out at a 45 degree angle. You should feel this more in your gluteus muscles

2. Prisoner Squat - Put your hand behind your head as you squat down

3. Overhead Squat - Do a normal squat but have your arms held straight up as you do it. You can even hold a bar (it doesn't have to be heavy) as you do it. 

4. Squat Jumps - At the bottom of the squat you push up into a jump so that your feet come off the ground

5. Goblet squat - You hold a weight to your chest as you squat. If you do not have access to weights a 5 litre water bottle with a handle works brilliantly!

If at any time you have knee or lower back pain this is a sign something is not right.  Go back a stage and make sure your technique is good before continuing.

With all exercises the correct technique is important before you start increasing the difficulty. As you are using many different muscles it can be complicated to do at first, but with practice you will get there!