If there were a simple posture you could do once a day, every day that would make your life better—would you remember to do it?
Last year, I told you how the deep passive squat is an “archetypal posture” that can help repair bodies ruined by the modern sedentary lifestyle. Yes, it’s ancient and primordial, but it’s also something that billions of people around the world still do on a daily basis, whether to rest, to pray, to cook, to share a meal, or to use the toilet. If you have young kids, they probably do it too.
Once upon a time, a squat probably felt good for you too, but as the Ontario, Canada-based physical therapist Dr. Bahram Jam said, it’s a posture that falls into the “use it or lose it” category. And thanks to all the sitting we do, many of us have lost it.
But now, a bot can help you get it back. The new Quartz for Messenger—just released by the clever people in the Quartz Bot Studio—does all kinds of things, like tell you the latest news, delve into random obsessions (why is La Croix so damn popular though?), and remind you to squat. Once enabled, the squat alarm will send you a Facebook message once a day at a time of your choosing to remind you to get low.
You can give it a go by saying hello to Quartz for Messenger and asking “Can you set a squat alarm for me?”
Why and how should you do this daily? You should think of a deep squat as active rest—totally different than those Crossfit or pilates reps. Your feet are flat on the floor, your spine is lengthened, and your bum is hovering above the floor. (If your heels are lifted, put a rolled up blanket or yoga mat underneath them as support). All it takes is a minute or two a day to provide the movement and compression that keeps our joints well lubricated with synovial fluid.
You’ll feel juicier, and you might even live longer too.