There are two survival skills that Westerners share with each other when they travel to Asia: one is to bring toilet paper, the other is to do squats. And the squat is not a normal squat like they do at the gym, but an advanced, deep squat with the lowest butt possible.
Actually, Asians call it squatting . Westerners call it “Asian-squat”. And you can already imagine why they have to practice this pose to survive: Asian toilets are sometimes a nightmare for Westerners. They are designed in a squat style and do not have a sprinkler.
Asian toilets are sometimes a nightmare for Westerners.
However, because of this, an interesting fact was discovered: Westerners are not all able to squat, so much so that this habit of Asians becomes a mystery that surprises many tourists. . Why can they squat easily, not fall, can even sit for hours?
Watch the Asians squatting while eating…
…waiting for customers.
…and even in a museum like this.
And former US President Barack Obama can’t bring his legs down…
…and if David Beckham was an Asian dad, he probably would have squatted.
A study in the US showed that only 13.5% of participants were able to squat, but 9% of them were of Asian descent. In contrast, a study in Japan showed that a large proportion, 87.5% of participants were able to squat. And the cause was finally found.
In the past, there were some theories that most Asians can squat because they have been trained since childhood, because they have to use the traditional toilet. But this does not seem to be the case, when in some South American countries like Peru, this type of toilet is also common, but not everyone can easily squat.
The next hypothesis is that Asians are shorter, with short legs and long backs, so the center of gravity is low, making it easier for them to squat. But the same is not true of Asian basketball players, who have Western body proportions but can still squat.
The ankle joint is the determining factor in the ability to squat .
So what is the ultimate cause? As it turns out, it’s the flexibility of the ankle joint . In their study, Japanese scientists examined a range of factors that could affect participants’ ability to squat, including: age, height, weight, BMI. , the flexibility of the hip joint, knee joint, hip joint…
As a result, they confirmed that the ankle joint is a decisive factor in our ability to squat. If the ankle joint is flexible above 70 degrees, you can squat easily. Most Westerners only have 30 degrees of mobility in their ankle joints, so they often have to tiptoe when trying to squat.
Test to measure the flexibility of the ankle joint.
So how to measure the flexibility of the ankle joint? Scientists have created an experiment that you can do yourself at home. First, find a wall and stand facing it. Place your big toe and knee on the wall, then let your foot and knee lie on the same vertical plane.
Next, slowly lower your knees while slowly inching your big toes away from the wall. When you can’t move any further, measure the distance from your thumb to the base of the wall.
Using the results of the study, the scientists said that if the distance of the right leg is greater than 10.75cm and the left leg is more than 11.25cm, your ankle joint is flexible enough to be able to squat.