Tutorial: How to perform the deep squat short post

WHAT

The deep squat short post is a great mobility exercise for the ankles, hips and spine.

This exercise demands both lower body strength and upper body mobility.
The control of spinal mobility in extension is an essential prerequisite for some lifting and overhead movements, particularly under a stable base. This exercise is as a useful movement preparation drill, as well as a recovery strategy post-workout.

From a standing position, drop into a deep squat with feet no wider than your shoulder-width.
Place one hand on the floor in front of you and reach up to the ceiling with the other hand (arm straight). Hold for 3 seconds, return and repeat on the other side.
Alternate continuously for reps or time – you decide.

Sedentary lifestyles can restrict spinal mobility over time, especially if left unchecked. Prolonged sitting, hunching over a desk, and staring into mobile phones are common examples of fixated spinal postures. The thoracic spine (middle/upper back) naturally has mobility, yet these postures can start to lock up these areas. When the thoracic spine locks up, the lower back, shoulder and arm may overwork to take up the load, resulting in pain and injury.
One way to optimize this exercise is to open up the chest, rather than simply to reach up with the hand and to pull the shoulder back. To facilitate this, imagine a piece of string on your chest that is pulling it upwards. At the same push the opposite arm (the one on the floor) into the knee to assist spinal rotation.