Why these squats lead to quick weight loss

Bodyweight Squat: The most basic squat exercise is the bodyweight squat, which is an excellent place for beginners to start. It is straightforward but incredibly powerful in developing your lower body’s strength and stamina.

How to do:
1) Place your toes slightly outward and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
2) Maintain an upright posture with your back straight. Push your hips back and bend your knees to start the exercise as though you were going to sit in a chair.
3) As low as your flexibility permits, or until your thighs are parallel to the floor, lower your body. Put some pressure on your heels to get back to your starting position.

Bodyweight squat

Benefits: This helps strengthen your core and lower body by engaging the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves. It improves mobility and flexibility and enhances overall movement efficiency. No equipment required. Please avoid common mistakes and ensure that your knees stay aligned with your toes and your back remains neutral throughout the movement.

Goblet squats: This is a bodyweight squat variation where the exercise is performed with the addition of resistance from a dumbbell or kettlebell or if not available, even a bag full of items. This helps you achieve better form during your squats and boosts muscular engagement. This mainly engages postural muscles of the upper back to counterbalance the weight held in front of the body.

Goblet squat

How to Do:

1) Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell close to your chest, keeping your elbows pointing down.

2) Place your feet shoulder-width apart and point your toes slightly outward while standing. Push your hips back and bend your knees to start the squat.

3) Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, lower your body.

4) To get back to where you started, push through your heels while keeping your back straight and your core engaged.

Benefits: It helps increase muscle engagement by adding resistance to challenge your muscles further. It helps maintain proper squat techniques by keeping the weight close to your body and helps improve your form. It enhances core stability.

Sumo Squats: This emphasises the glutes and inner thighs. A wide-stance squat variation that emphasises the inner thighs and glutes more is the sumo squat. Compared to regular squats, this variation is ideal for targeting multiple muscle regions.

Sumo squat

How to do:

1) Place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and tip your toes outward while standing.

2) Maintain an upright posture with your back straight.

3) Lower your hips back and down and bend your knees to start the squat.

4) Put some pressure on your heels to get back to your starting position.

Benefits: It targets inner thighs and engages the adductors and glutes more than traditional squats. It helps improve hip flexibility and mobility. It builds lower body strength mainly in the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

(Dr Mehta is holistic health expert)