I did two minutes of deep squat holds every day for a month and my hip mobility is better than ever

Lately I've been in awe of my two-year-old toddler.

For large chunks of the day he seems perfectly content sitting in a deep squat, yet to my knowledge, he's never had a minute of professional coaching.

His flawless technique—feet flat, heels down, knees and hips fully flexed, back flat—is a perfect demonstration of what is sometimes referred to as a primal or Asian squat.

By contrast, the Western variety is one you're probably more familiar with: bodyweight tipped forward onto your toes, heels lifted, knees bearing the brunt of the strain.

This inferior version tends to creep in as we age, mainly because we stop sitting in deep squats, sitting cross-legged on the floor, or exploring the full range of our mobility.

And, as the saying goes, if we don't use it, we lose it.

With my son serving as a timely reminder that I'm not getting any younger, I resolved to rediscover my deep squat ability one day at a time for a month.

Here's what happened when I tried doing two-minute deep squat holds every day for 30 days.

It got easier

My first deep squat hold on day one was not pretty.

My ankles felt rusty, my knees felt janky, my hips felt gristly and two minutes felt like an eternity. So, next time, I broke it down.

On day two, I held onto a bannister to counterbalance my bodyweight pulling me back and did four sets of 30 seconds with a 15-second break between each.

Gradually, my range improved as my joints relearned this innate body position, and I was able to hold a deep squat unaided for the full two minutes.

If you find deep squat holds a struggle, this video might help identify what might be holding you back.

My hips and ankles felt more open

For consistency, I practiced my deep squat holds first thing after waking up, last thing before getting into bed or while my morning coffee was brewing.

Each time, I tried to avoid distraction so I could feel what was happening and better understand what was limiting my range.

Like a runner ditching the headphones or a lifter honing their mind-muscle connection, that awareness helped me tune into exactly what my body was telling me.

As the days went on, I also noticed my hips and ankles opening up, and all the tiny stabilizer muscles working hard to keep me steady and correct through every part of the movement.

I have no doubt this has helped me in other ways too, such as improving my ankle stability and joint resilience for my regular soccer games.

My legs got stronger

Improving my mobility at the bottom of a squat helped me feel stronger and more comfortable doing weighted squats, too.

It's a bit like forcing yourself to pause in the middle of a push-up or bench press—holding the position means your muscles have to work harder, so they get stronger.

Stripping momentum away from the hardest part of the squat taught me to generate extra leg power and keep my core locked in to drive back to standing.

Plus, being able to keep my knees wide and pelvis neutral in a deep squat meant I could fully recruit my glutes, making squats feel easier.

I've read that deep squat holds can even aid digestion, by straightening out the colon and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, though I can't personally speak to those benefits.

Yet sometimes my back felt a bit tight

I have to caveat all this with one drawback.

Midway through the month, I tweaked my lower back—not because of the squat holds but because of an existing weakness there, which flared up after a separate lower-body strength workout.

During the daily squats, I noticed my lower back feeling extra stiff and sore when rising to stand back up.

This eased as the month went on but it reminded me that testing the upper limits of your range of motion has its risks and limitations.

That also led me to this video from physical therapists Bob and Brad, which highlighted when you should stop doing deep squat holds altogether:

• If you feel a sharp pain in your back or buttocks
• If you have osteoporosis or osteopenia (weakened bones)
• If you start to feel numbness, tingling or burning down your legs
• If you feel a catch or pain in your back afterward

If in doubt, it's always best to consult your doctor or physical therapist before starting something similar.