Why and how runners should squat
A strong lower body powers your stride and wards off injury. Incorporating resistance moves like squats into your strength-training routine is an essential—and easy—way to round out your training.
Squats are a functional exercise that benefit your joint and muscle health, as well as your posture—all of which are important for improving your running form and speed.
But there are a few things about how to do a squat you need to know before quickly banging out reps on your next strength-training day.
Sacrificing form can lead to injury and will make the move ineffective. Common mistakes I see are:
heels lifting off the ground, shifting the weight onto the toes
not going deep enough, stopping with knees at 90 degrees (admittedly this isn't possible for everyone)
allowing the chest to fall forward
curving the upper body and spine, creating a rounded back
losing the neutral spine position in the lower back (less frequently)