A few years ago, I was suffering from excruciating back pain that had me in and out of the doctors trying to figure out what was causing it. After numerous visits, I finally turned to ChatGPT to get more info. It turned out to be musculoskeletal in origin, and down the spinal rabbit hole I went.
The doctor suggested an expensive MRI in the city that is 3 hours away, and because I simply couldn’t afford it, I took to the internet to help me relieve this pain, and I’m so glad I did! I found this one bedtime exercise that completely changed my life, and I want to share it with you.
What is this one magical move? The Asian Squat.
Now before you close the browser and go scrolling somewhere else, hear me out. If you’ve seen images of this move before, you know it looks hard and almost impossible to do for those with limited mobility, but I’m going to share modified versions of it so YOU can benefit from it too!
Thank me later!
Easing into this bedtime exercise
When I learned about this bedtime exercise, I had my doubts. How can this one move take away my back pain? I had to try it, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t easy at first.
While I like to pride myself on being relatively fit and strong, the Asian squat challenged me a lot in the beginning. Now I can do it like a pro, but it wasn’t always that way.
When you first get started, you may feel frustrated that you can’t do it properly, or you feel pain in your ankles or other parts of your body (comfortable pain, not excruciating!) I think this is completely normal. It took me a few weeks to slip into it with ease.
Let’s first talk about what the Asian squat is and how it helps, then I’ll finish telling you my story and how this bedtime exercise helps ease back pain, open up your hips and reduce hip pain, loosen up your ankles, and so much more.
It truly is a miracle move.
What is an Asian Squat and how does it work?
Have you ever watched a toddler effortlessly drop all the way down to pick up a toy with their feet flat on the ground and knees wide open, resting in a deep squat with their bottoms almost touching the floor? That move is what we adults call an “Asian squat” or simply a deep resting squat.
And this squat is a game changer.
How It Works and Why It Helps Your Body
When you sink down into a deep squat, a few pretty amazing things happen to your body:
- It decompresses the lower back: As you drop your hips below your knees, your pelvis tilts and gently opens up the lumbar spine, naturally stretching out tight lower-back muscles.
- It opens up stiff hips: Sitting tightens your hip flexors, but a deep squat stretches the glutes, hips, and groin all at once to restore range of motion.
- It improves lower-body circulation: Fully bending the knees and hips compresses the lower legs temporarily, which helps flush fresh blood flow when you change positions.
Why It Is a Game-Changer After 60
If you are over 60, keeping your joints mobile is everything. Here is why adding this into your routine can make a massive difference:
- Wipe out morning back stiffness: Doing this before bed decompresses the spine after a long day, meaning you wake up without that nagging morning ache (that’s what helped me the most!)
- Build functional strength: Being able to squat down safely means you can pick something up off the floor, garden, or move around easily without straining your back.
- Protect your joints: Regularly working on mobility keeps your hips, knees, and ankles lubricated and prevents them from seizing up as you age.
And as promised, here are modified versions of this bedtime exercise that you can easily do to get the full benefits.
The Supported Chair Squat (Partial Range)
Instead of dropping all the way down to the floor, use a sturdy chair or the edge of the bed. Lower yourself only halfway or to a height that feels comfortable for your knees, keeping your weight shifted back into your heels. This mimics the hip-opening and back-stretching benefits of a squat without forcing the knees into an extreme, high-stress angle.
The Wall-Supported Squat with a Stability Ball
Place a stability ball between your lower back and a wall. As you slide down into a shallow or medium squat, the ball supports your weight and helps keep your posture upright. This takes a massive amount of shear pressure off the knee joints while still allowing you to control the depth so you only go as far as feels completely pain-free.
Swap the Squat for a Supine Knee-to-Chest Stretch
If deep knee bending is entirely off the table, you can get a remarkably similar lower-back and hip-decompressing release while lying flat on your back in bed:
- Lie on your back and gently pull one or both knees up toward your chest.
- Hold for 20 to 30 seconds while breathing deeply.
This safely flattens the lower back against the mattress and stretches the glutes and lumbar spine with zero weight or pressure on the knee joints. This is also a great move if you have ankle issues!
My story
When I first tried it, the tops of my feet were crying, and the part that connects my legs to my ankles – that whole area hurt. A lot! I pushed through this pain and managed to hold this squat for 10 seconds. While it felt frustrating at first, I kept at it.
After a week or so, I was able to hold it for around 30 seconds, still with pain in the tops of my feet but not as bad. I kept at it.
I started noticing that around week 2, my back pain had drastically reduced. Wait, what? Yes. 75% better. Remarkable! I can now hold this squat comfortably for up to 5 minutes.
I’ve been doing this bedtime exercise for about 6 months, and now I even do it randomly throughout the day and especially if I feel my back getting a little tight (I work at a desk all day still). I’ve also incorporated yoga into my exercise routine, and I try to walk daily.
All these combined have made my body stronger and my back pain almost nonexistent.
You can check out this YouTube channel for more awesome movements to reduce stiffness, have greater mobility and flexibility and feel strong in your aging body.
You can also check out my YouTube channel where I talk all things aging!
Download my Pain-Free Starter Kit here today and glide into your golden years happy, healthy and strong!
Final thoughts on this miracle bedtime exercise
While I can’t say that the Asian squat is the cure-all (you should also consult with your doctor for any health issues you have), I can say that it’s a relatively simple way to fix some of the minor issues we face as we get older.
After suffering for years with my back pain, the Asian squat was a welcome move to add to my fitness and health routine.
Give it a try, stick to it and see the results yourself.
You’re welcome.
