­hi, i was just wandering about a physical problem i have. im 17 and i cant physically do a squat... when i go down the bottom of my calves just wont stretch far enough... any idea whats causing this? and how i can fix it? are there any excercises to fix it? thanks for any help

­ Matt:

I hear ya on the squat deal. Have you had everything physical checked out? For me to give you any kind of professional and intelligent answer I would need to as you a bunch of questions. It could be as simple as a problem that controls your equilibrium (balance), to the muscles that control that movement needing to be retrained to work together which could be what they call "local" muscle groups or in the brain. See, there are so many things and you have to ask bunches of questions to narrow this down to find out why you can't do squats.
In the mean time why not practice? I do this because I can not do squats either. They found out that it was my back, something I was born with. But through Martial Arts I learned you can overcome just about anything if you know what you are doing and "practice." So I learned how the ballet people do them and I hold on to my counter or dresser any where that I have something to hold on to and can pull up on. Even if you can't do one, visualize in your mind how your body would do a squat if it could. Go over it and over it in your mind. Remember your mind controls your body. Then try one holding on and using your arms only as to what makes you move. This will work that I know from my experience. I can now do them holding on to the kitchen counter.
But remember if you truly can not make your body move as you want it to, you need to get it checked out by a doctor more specifically a sports doctor. They know mechanics of the body better than anyone.
I wish I could tell you exactly what it is but you didn't give me enough information and I would still need more, that is why we are always asking questions . The doctor will ask you the same questions so he/she can narrow down the options, but the spine is very complicated and that is most likely where your problem lies if it is a physical problem.
OK, if you want to write and describe more to me I will be glad to try and help but if it were me I would go to a sports doc and get it checked out. I would practice and see if I could retrain my brain to do squats and out of the two you will get the answers you are looking for.
Let me know what ends up being the problem as I do care and I would like to know what you find out as the "cause."
MaryAnne

­Hi, here is some more details. it isnt my balance becasue i cant do it when holding onto somehting. if i start on the floor with my feet together flat on the floor the rest of my body in a squat position but i wouldnt be able to make my body be upright it would be at an angle, to me it feels like there is a bone or muscle located at ankle bone height at the back which i think is the problem. when i lift my foot upwards this part feels stretched when pressed and doesnt seem to let my foot go any heigher to make my body able to be verticle when doing squats. hope this helps. thanks for your help,

Matt

­ Matt:

Hi sorry I can't give medical advice being a nurse so let me make that clear. As I said before I would go to a sports medicine doc as they really know about this kind of thing or even to a "trainer" they know probably as much or more than doctors on things like what you are dealing with. I wouldn't do anything on my own until I knew what I was dealing with. It is not good to push the body if it can't do something. You only push your body when it will cooperate. Your inability to do squats is your body telling you something is wrong that is the neat thing about the body it doesn't lie to you. If it says "no" it has a very good reason and if you push you could end up not being able to do more than "squats" so respect the message you are getting and go find out what it causing it. Get the cause fixed and then you will know you are OK and then you can push.
You will regret just getting "advice" on such a matter and trying things that people suggest as there are 50 million people out there who will tell you what will "fix" your problem and like I said your body is telling you something is wrong. These people don't care what happens to you and don't have to live with the end results if what they suggest to you doesn't work or makes you even worse.
From years of experience as a nurse and as someone who has physical problems I know what I am telling you on this one, the body only speaks when it has a darn good reason. Your body will never let you down as long as you take good care of it Matte, it only protects you. So your body is saying "no" and protecting you from something which most likely is in your spine or has to do with the tendons and ligaments that support your skeletal system. Just don't mess around you only get one body and you need to make it work "for" you and not punish it for telling you that something is wrong.
You can not ever get something back if you push and damage it. So take the right route and go find out why your body is saying look this won't work.
I am just trying to save you some major lessons you really don't need to learn the hard way, or to lose out on a future in sports. There are just too many nuts out there giving all kinds of advice on how to heal yourself and trying to make a dollar or just their ego confirmed. Go with the system on this one Matte, sports medicine or a trainer with a prosports team. They will at least give you advice that you can count on and of course a sports orthopedist well they can definitely find the cause and fix it.
Please do it right and help your body, don't hurt it by trying a bunch of stuff or pushing it.
I sure would like to know what the "cause" ends up being and that you do find out. If you would maybe write me after you see a sports doc I would appreciate it. I would like to think of you out there doing squats because your body's problem is fixed and the squats come easy.
So if you think about it and go to the doc, drop me a line OK?
Oh if you don't have the insurance, you can go to the county you live in and the health center there and get help OR I have the government phone number for insurance for kids, as all kids in the US can get insurance.
For whatever reason there is no reason you can't get the help you need.
Just let me know,
MaryAnne