How many squats you should be able to do without a break at every age

There’s no ifs, ands, or flabby butts about it. “The squat is your powerhouse,” Kristin Collins, a trainer at Life Time fitness club, told The Post. Whether you’re scooping up your toddler, sliding into your car or settling onto the porcelain throne, being able to drop it low and stand back up is essential to getting through the day.“The basic demands of daily life don’t vary that much from age group to age group,” Collins said.

“Squats are arguably the most fundamental movement pattern we utilize.”She broke it down for The Post, outlining how many squats you should aim for at each stage of life and offering tips on how to tailor the move to fit your body’s unique needs.“Before considering the quantity of squats, we should establish the optimal quality,” Collins said. When you drop into a squat, make sure your hips line up with your knees, your knees stay in line with your toes, and your heels stay glued to the ground.There are plenty of squat variations, but today, we’re talking bodyweight and weighted squats.Bodyweight squats are perfect for beginners, warm-ups or building endurance in your legs, glutes and core.  Even better, they require no equipment, with your body’s own weight serving as the resistance.The downside: Your progress can plateau as your muscles become familiar with squatting your own body weight, making the exercise feel less challenging.“Your body needs new stimuli to overcome plateaus and to continue building your muscles and bones,” Collins said.“The best target for your functional movement patterns is to incrementally increase the demands on your body over time.”That’s where weighted squats come in.

Whether it’s a barbell, kettlebell or other form of weight, these squats provide more resistance, making them a game-changer for building strength and muscle mass.They also engage more muscles in your core and lower back.When it comes to how many squats you should be able to do, there’s no one-size-f...