You Mastered This Move Before You Could Walk, So Why Can't You Do It Now?
Excerpt from the Habit Healers substack
Imagine a machine. One that burns fat, boosts brainpower, strengthens your heart, protects your joints, and sharpens your balance. Now imagine this machine doesn’t run on electricity. It runs on movement. It’s built into your body.
And it’s powered by one motion: the squat.
But here’s the catch: most of us have forgotten how to use it.
The Vanishing Move That Built Civilization
Watch a toddler long enough, and you’ll see something incredible: when they get tired, they don’t look for a chair—they squat. Deeply. Naturally. Perfectly.
This isn’t a learned behavior. It’s hardwired. Long before chairs, this was humanity’s resting position. Cooking, harvesting, giving birth, relieving oneself, people squatted for everything. It wasn’t a workout. It was life.
But now? The average adult spends over nine hours a day sitting. Chairs are everywhere. Our hips are tight. Our balance is shaky. And the movement that once kept us grounded, strong, and supple… is gone.
So what happens when you stop doing something your body was designed to do?
You begin to break down.
Your Legs Are the Batteries of Your Body
Most people think squats are for athletes. But the real story starts deeper—literally.
Your legs house the biggest muscles in your body: quads, glutes, hamstrings. These aren’t just for walking, they’re your metabolic power plants. Every time you use them, you’re charging your whole system.
Think of muscle as a furnace. The more you have, the more fuel (like sugar and fat) your body can burn. But when you stop moving, and especially stop squatting, that furnace cools down. Fast.
And here’s the kicker: muscle doesn’t just sit there. It talks to your brain, your immune system, and your metabolism. The more you use it, the more your whole body listens.
So when you squat, you’re not just training legs.
You’re sending a signal: stay strong, stay alive, stay alert.
More at the link
https://open.substack.com/pub/drlauriemarbas/p/you-mastered-this-move-before-you
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Squat once in a while but I have to have something to hold on to while getting back up sometimes. The knees are complaining more these days.May be I should try it more often.
