How to do your squats with more ease

Today we have another an embodiment from The Franklin Method

Squats are one of those exercises which are both functional and fun to do. So I try to incorporate them as often as possible in as many variations as I can come up with.

There are many ways to make squats feel more efficient, and today I would like to share one from The Franklin Method: Improve your squat by improving the bone rhythm between the femur and the tibia.

What are bone rhythms? Our bones move inside our body in relationship to each other in spirals or 3-dimensionally to create safe and efficient movement. However, we are not always aware of this relationship.

So, let’s explore one of the bone rhythms between the femur and tibia in knee flexion and extension. When you bend your knees, your femur spirals out, your tibia in. And the opposite occurs when you straighten your knees.

Normally, you do this exercise with a partner but I am showing how you can do it yourself.

What is the exercise about?

• This embodiment is about improving the movement relationship between the femur and tibia which you can use for squatting, walking, running etc.

What do I like about it?

• You use a very simple movement – knee flexion & extension  –  to create awareness of where the movement happens.
• You have a proprioceptive aspect because you are guiding the femur and tibia with your hands. This stimulates the communication between the brain and body and there is therefore more clarity about where the movement happens.
• During knee flexion & extension you also perform hip flexion and extension with the other leg. Therefore, you also improve mobility in the hip joint.
• You will also get some myofascial stretch on the front of the opposite hip.
• The embodiment can easily be integrated into a pilates environment or any other training programme because focus is on the bone rhythm, i.e. how do the femur and tibia move in relationship to each other.

What prop do you need?

The best prop of them all – your hands … ;o)

Where to place the prop

One hand wraps gently around your femur, the other around your tibia.

Which course/workshop is the exercise from?

• The Franklin Method Educator Training – Level 1, module D: The knees and the feet

If you are curious about The Franklin Method, take a look at their website or mine.

You might also be interested to know that The Franklin Method Educator Training Level 1 will run in October 2021 in Denmark. You can read more about the first module here.

And here is the video …

Video length: 4:00 minutes