How to Do Wall Sits: Benefits & Variations

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What are wall sits?

Before we talk about some excellent reasons to include the wall sit exercise in your workout regime, let’s first get to know this exercise and its correct technique.

Wall sits, also known as wall squats, forward wall squat, seated wall squat, or wall supported squats, are a great way to build strength in your lower body along with your core. This is one of the few exercises that benefit you when you do it over time instead of how many repetitions of it you do.

Wall squats work on these muscle groups:

Quadriceps
Calves
Glutes

How are wall sits done?

To gain the benefits of wall squats, it is essential to perform this exercise using the correct technique.

Here is a step-by-step explanation of the steps of bodyweight wall squats:

Stand straight with your back against the wall.
Keep your feet hip-width apart.
Brace your core and slide down the wall slowly until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your knees, calves, and hamstrings form a right angle.
Hold the position for a few seconds and return to the starting position of the wall supported squats.

Sets and reps of the wall squat workout: You can start by performing 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps of the seated wall squat.

What are the different variations of wall sits?

Once you have perfected the form of wall sits, here are some variations of the exercise for you to try:

One-leg wall sits: As the name suggests, this bodyweight wall squat is done using one leg at a time. To do this exercise, spread both arms with your arms touching the wall. Bring one leg in front of you making sure your hip is parallel to your knee and your core is tight.

Weighted wall sits: This is an excellent variation of the wall squat exercise that adds more strength to your core and legs. To do this exercise, you can either hold a dumbbell or kettlebell or wear ankle weights.

Wall sit hold: Also known as wall squat hold, in this variation of the wall sits, you need to hold the squat position for an extended period. For increasing the intensity of the exercise hold it for anytime between thirty to sixty seconds.

Wallball squats: Also known as exercise ball squats, wall ball squats are done using a stability ball. To do this exercise, place the ball against the wall and stand against it. Gently lean your body into the ball and lower your body along with the ball. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold the exercise ball squat for a few seconds and return to the starting position.

Which are the 10 best reasons to include wall sits in your workout plan?

Forward wall sits have more benefits for your overall health and fitness than you can imagine.

Here are the 10 most important wall sit benefits that you can gain by including this exercise in your workout regime:

One of the best wall sit benefits is that they give you stronger calf muscles. Strong calves help in enhancing your workout and running performance. Not just this, a wall sit workout also gives you the coveted toned and muscular legs.

A wall sit workout is a great way to develop balance and stability. This is not just essential to manage age-related balance problems but also for athletes to improve their sports performance.

One of the great benefits of wall squats is for people who want to sculpt six-pack abs. Since this exercise requires you to tense up and flex up your abs muscles throughout the movement, it strengthens and gives you that toned abdomen.

A strong core forms the foundation of every movement that you make. By working on your entire core, spinal erectors, and internal & external obliques, a wall squat workout gives you a strong core. This helps improve your functionality and prevent postural problems.

There are great benefits of wall squats for knee pain. By making your quadriceps and glutes stronger, this exercise increases the flexibility of the muscles that support your knee, easing pain and stiffness. Wall squats for knee pain are a good option because they don’t exert undue pressure on the knees. Since your back is supported by the wall and your body stays in a fixed position, this is a safe exercise for the knees.

One of the best wall squat benefits is that since it is a good bodyweight exercise, it helps enhance your bone mass and density. This is especially important as we age and prevents injuries.

Variations such as wall squat hold activate and challenge your quadriceps more than the traditional version of the exercise. Stronger quadriceps help promote isometric strength not just in your legs but throughout your body.

By helping you build lean muscle and burn calories, it works as a great weight loss exercise. This gives you a toned appearance and prevents the risk of obesity-related disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, etc.

A good wall sit exercise benefit is that it helps improve your concentration, focus, and mental toughness. Especially in variations that require you to use weights.

A wall sit exercise can be done anywhere. All you need is a wall to get started. You don’t need expensive equipment or gym memberships to reap the great wall sit exercise benefits.

Takeaway

Though at the face of it a wall squat exercise looks simple to learn and practice, you need to be mindful of the correct posture to prevent injuries and muscular strain. Never start doing wall sits without learning the proper technique from a qualified trainer. It is also essential to keep progressing your workout by trying out different variations of this exercise. This is not only important for you to gain wall squat benefits but also to keep yourself engaged and motivated.

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