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Comment by edanm | Hacker News Reader

I was told once that in China, people squat a lot more than in the West. Both for toilet use, but also just for "sitting down" somewhere.

Example: I was told that upon seeing a bench, whereas westerners would normally sit on it, a Chinese person will squat on it. This supposedly also makes their legs much stronger.

Can anyone confirm this?

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Squatting trivia: South Asians do squat in repose, but notice that the heel of the foot is in full contact with the ground.

I read somewhere that the typical Westerner, or someone not used to squatting for extended periods, will squat on the balls of their feet. Apparently this can tire you out quickly.

I'm embarrassed that I can't quite manage to squat on my heels either, despite being South Asian.

I think it's affected with whether you're skinny person or not. Skinny people are easier to squat on heels, as they have smaller flesh/muscle.

I observe football players have difficulty in squatting on heels.

I spent a couple years in South Korea a number of years ago and challenged myself to squat as the natives did. It didn't take long to achieve full heel contact with the ground but I never felt entirely balanced.

FWIW I found regular sitting toilets in most homes and establishments that I visited. The "squatter" was actually not common in the parts I traveled (25 years ago and mostly in Seoul). I think I used one twice in 2 years.

IMHO it's because they are two different kinds of squats. On the balls of your feet, you a ready to spring into action at any second- it is more like a quick breather than a resting position. It comes much more naturally. On your heels, you can't exactly break into an instant run.

That was just my point - it comes naturally to Westerners because they are not used to squatting. South Asians can execute either stance equally naturally.

I've seen people go from standing to squatting position (not in a toilet) and they don't go through an intermediate ball-of-foot-squatting phase.

Yes. But sliverstorm wasn't saying that they go through an intermediate ball-of-foot-squatting.

By the way, practice makes perfect in squatting as in every thing else.

>I read somewhere that the typical Westerner, or someone not used to squatting for extended periods, will squat on the balls of their feet.

My calf muscles don't allow my thighs to press against my calves along their length as in images of people squatting full footed. The lever created means a huge amount of pressure on my knees like when you use a bar under a claw-hammer to increase upward force. I've tried squatting flat footed and holding onto something - it's very painful on the front of my legs and my thighs don't go closer than about 15deg from my calves.

I crouch down a lot as I spend a lot of time next to tables talking to people sitting.

I also can't sit cross-legged comfortable, never could. It made school assemblies hard for me I have to hold my legs crossed in an elevated position (knees away from the floor) which then adds pressure on the buttocks.

Perhaps it's just me. I don't consider myself to appear obviously anatomically dissimilar to those around me.

I know it is quite common to see people squatting in Japan.

http://www.kirainet.com/english/japanese-crouching/

This is the stereotypical Asian squat. Interestingly, young children do it by default. I think we lose flexibility as we age. I can't squat back on my heels without straining my shin muscles to keep from falling backwards, but the more I do it, the easier it becomes.

It is certainly a lot healthier for your knees than squatting on the balls of your feet, if only because your knees stay roughly on the same vertical as your toes. This is old powerlifter wisdom, and anyone with a knee injury can tell you first-hand. I can't squat on the balls of my feet without my right knee squealing in pain. Squatting on my heels is, at least, tolerable.

Yep! I was about to post that I learned this from my toddler... and trying to squat (western style) next to him to play.

Yes. But the loss of flexibility does not come automatically with age. If you keep moving, you will keep your flexibility. And you can get it back with practice.

I don't think it's as simple as keeping moving. I lost that flexibility fairly early on, certainly in the middle of playing multiple sports through high school, and I'm still very active today.

I know I don't do enough stretching, though. It's just frustrating because my hamstrings never seem to improve, and as soon as I stop stretching, I go back to base (about 12" from touching my toes while standing).

> I was told once that in China, people squat a lot more than in the West. Both for toilet use, but also just for "sitting down" somewhere.

In rural midwest US, the instead-of-sit squat is called a "hunker". Yes, folks talk about "hunkering" and will say "come over her and hunker with us for a while". "Hunker down" is different.

> I was told that upon seeing a bench, whereas westerners would normally sit on it, a Chinese person will squat on it.

I've never seen anyone hunker on a bench - they always hunkered on the ground.

It's true. Especially in the northwest China.

But things seem to change a little bit. The white collars think it looks strange. They would rather stand than squat.

Thanks for the post. I don't feel ashamed when waiting for a bus with squat now.

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