I love a yoga block; it can make an exercise more challenging (try putting a block between your thighs during chair pose) or easier, depending on what you need it for. This yoga block hack has improved squat depth for many, many clients, and it's helpful if you have tight ankles or limited mobility.

While, yes, ideally, you'd work on fixing tight ankles using regular mobility routines, not everyone can achieve ideal squat depth (parallel or lower), and so this trick comes in handy if you want to work your quads hard without compromising your form.

I have extremely tight ankles, and despite working on them for a while, I still struggle to squat well without the famous butt wink (when your pelvis slightly tucks under at the bottom of a squat). For that reason, I use a yoga block or weight plates under my heels to elevate them; it helps front-load the squat so you feel it in your quads, but also helps you sit your hips back deeper into the squat.

If you experience pain at any time, stop and rest. If you're working with an injury or health condition, especially knee pain, we recommend seeking advice before starting any new exercise.

As you sit back into a squat, there are multiple issues that can arise. A common one is tight ankles, which are commonly mistaken for a hip, back, or knee issue; when your ankles are tight, this acts as a catalyst for a chain of events that travel up to the knees and pelvis, impacting squat mechanics, creating potential imbalances, or even overfiring other muscle groups to compensate.

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