Modified Squat With a Balance Aid

Be it age or injury, squats can be too difficult for some to accomplish. In this free video, Leah Zahner, Certified Personal Trainer (NASM), walks through modifying the traditional squat with a balance aid, such as a stool or box. The balance aid gives you something to hold on to throughout this exercise, making the squat easier. Choose a balance aid with an appropriate height for your range of motion.

Step 1

Position yourself behind your balance aid allowing for enough room to accomplish the squat.

Step 2

Reach your arms out in front of you. They should be wide enough to allow you to stabilize yourself with your balance aid on the way down.

Step 3

Begin the squat. Allow your hands to reach forward and rest on your balance aid. This provides an option for additional support at the bottom of the squat.

Variation

You can walk your hands forward as you squat down on the balance aid and walk them back before returning to the starting position. The pause in this variation helps to avoid rushing back up into the standing position allowing for an optimal stretch.

Check out “Finish Position: Training with Slider Exercises” and “Completing a Barbell Lunge” for more instruction on bettering your balance.