How To Do Air Squats: Exercise Tips, Benefits, Proper Form - Greatist

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What Are Air Squats? Benefits, Form Tips, and Common Mistakes

Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, Fitness — Written by Jessica Booth — Updated on October 15, 2024

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Benefits
Takeaway

Curious about what air squats are? These bodyweight exercises might be your go-to for toning thighs and glutes. Perfect for home workouts, air squats may enhance balance and core strength. Learn how to master them safely.

On a mission to get buns of steel? Try incorporating air squats into your leg day routine and you’ll probably notice a difference pretty quickly.

Air squats are like regular squats, but instead of using additional weights, you use only your body weight (hence why you may also know them as bodyweight squats). They’re often part of CrossFit and similar workouts, and they work your thighs and glutes.

They’re easy to master and very effective at tightening up those booty muscles. And because you don’t need to use additional weight, air squats are a perfect move for an at-home workout.

Watch your form: How to do air squats

Before doing air squats, be sure to stretch and warm up.

Master the move

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward.
Engage core muscles and pull shoulder blades together slightly to push out your chest.
Squat back as if you were about to sit in a chair. Keep your weight in your heels so you don’t lean forward. Your hips should move down and back.
Make sure your lower back curve is maintained and keep heels flat on the floor the whole time. Hips will descend lower than knees. (The eventual goal is to touch your glutes to the backs of your calves.)
Hold for a few seconds, then rise up by pushing through heels and using glutes to return to a standing position.

Pay close attention to maintaining proper form, even if that means moving slowly. When doing an air squat, you’ll want to remember these tips:

Your knees should never go past your toes.
Angle your toes slightly outward (while still keeping them mostly straight) to prevent knee pain.
Your back should not be rounded.
Don’t drop your shoulders forward. Your upper body should stay still, and only your lower body should move.
Keep your eyes fixed on a point directly in front of you to keep your chest lifted.
Keep all your weight in your heels to keep yourself from pitching forward.

When you do air squats, you should feel the move in your thighs and glutes. If you’re feeling pain elsewhere, that means you need to correct your form.

If air squats cause pain in your knees, that means you’re either going too low or not using correct form. It could mean you’re putting more weight toward your toes than your heels.

If you have lower back pain during or after doing air squats, that could mean you’re leaning your chest forward too much. Avoid leaning forward when doing this move.

What’s so great about air squats?

The benefits of air squats go beyond an enviable backside.

Think of air squats as an introduction to weighted squats. This move will help you learn the proper form for weighted squats so you can do them safely and lower your risk of injury.
Air squats strengthen your glutes, but they also build a solid foundation of strength for your entire lower body. They can also work your thigh muscles, including your hamstrings and quadriceps.
Because air squats require balance, they can even work your core muscles.
Air squats can make your legs stronger and more powerful, which can positively impact any other workout you do, whether it’s cardio or strength-based.

If you experience sciatic nerve pain, you shouldn’t do any kind of squat without first speaking with your doctor and/or physical therapist. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop doing this exercise.

The takeaway

Air squats are an incredibly effective beginner workout move. They work your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps and even help you improve your balance and core strength. Doing air squats will help you learn other leg exercises down the line.

4 sourcescollapsed

Ciccone T, et al. Deep squats and knee health: A scientific review.https://shruggedcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/DeepSquat-Review-Barbell-Daily-3-27-15.pdf
How to do a proper air squat. (n.d.).https://www.12minuteathlete.com/how-to-do-a-proper-air-squat/
Lorenzetti S, et al. (2018). How to squat? Effects of various stance widths, foot placement angles and level of experience on knee, hip and trunk motion and loading. DOI:https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs13102-018-0103-7
The lowdown on squats. (2019).https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-lowdown-on-squats

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Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, Fitness — Written by Jessica Booth — Updated on October 15, 2024

How To Do Air Squats: Exercise Tips, Benefits, Proper Form - Greatist

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Watch your form: How to do air squats

Master the move

What’s so great about air squats?

The takeaway

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