How to Do an Air Squat Exercise

Cross training works the body's core but also has great exercises for the lower body. The air squat also known as the body weight squat is infamous for its intensity, but when performed correctly offers a fantastic fast paced workout sure to burn unwanted calories. The fact that air squats tighten and tone the stomach, buns and thighs doesn't do any harm. Look below for guidelines on how to do the air squat exercise.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Begin with legs comfortably apart, feet pointing outward with the weight placed firmly on the heel. The legs are far enough apart bending up and down will not cause you to lose your balance and fall over. It is best to work on a gymnastic mat wearing tennis shoes for maximum traction.
   
   
2. Bend the knees and squat down so that the thighs and calves connect curving the spine slightly in the process. The knees should always remain out and over the feet and the hips dip slightly further than the knees to complete the squat. Perform steps 2 and 3 simultaneously.
   
3. Push arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height with hands straight out. The hands should be palm down with the fingers together.
   
4. Place weight squarely on feet before pushing back up to a standing position. The spine straightens out, as do the knees. Squeezing the buns together as you return to a standing position will intensify the workout.
   
5. Allow arms to return to your sides as you complete step 4. Holding the core muscles taught or pulling the stomach muscles in toward the base of your spine will intensify the effectiveness of the exercise.
   
6. Repeat air squats as many times as is comfortable using a steady but consistent pace and completely finishing one squat before finishing the next.