When’s the last time you sat in a squat position? Chances are, it’s been a long time. And it’s not just you. Most of the developed Western civilizations have abandoned this posture and traded it in for sitting. But our sedentary, seated lifestyle creates a slew of health problems, but learning how to squat could help to reverse these issues. Scroll down below to read more about how to learn to squat.

Believe it or not, a big reason why Western civilizations stopped squatting is because of toilet designs. For centuries, people had to squat to relieve themselves. And studies show that the hip flexion within this posture made it easier and less straining to eliminate.

But the modern toilet, along with more and more chairs, led people to sit instead of squat. But why is this such a bad thing?

Squatting supports the musculoskeletal system and by not squatting, you can end up with serious physiological implications.

Dr. Bahram Jam, founder of the Advanced Physical Therapy Education Institute in Ontario, Canada, explains that “Every joint in our body has synovial fluid in it. This is the oil in our body that provides nutrition to the cartilage.”

Jam goes on to explain that “Two things are required to produce that fluid: movement and compression. So if a joint doesn’t go through its full range – the body says ‘I’m not being used’ and starts to degenerate and stops the production of synovial fluid.”

Now that sitting has become the preferred posture among so many of us, it’s likely that our joints and cartilage are suffering, too.

And when we don’t move and compress our joints with positions like the squat posture, it can even impact our lifespan. In fact, this study found that not being able to get up from a squat position without using your hands, arms or legs results in a shorter life expectancy of three years.

Therefore, in order to keep your musculoskeletal system lubricated and nourished, try to incorporate the squat posture into your daily life.