In today’s article, we’re going to be looking at a slightly different and unique exercise that is vastly underrated and hugely effective.
The exercise, in general, is known as the wall sit which is why we’re looking at several wonderful wall sit benefits in today’s article.
Ever found yourself leaning against a wall to catch your breath after exercise, or perhaps because your legs are stiff?
If so, you’re likely not far away from performing a wall sit.
People often think that all exercise has to be overly complex and physically demanding when in reality, sometimes the simplest exercises are the most effective.
That is definitely the case when it comes to wall sits.
Wall sits test your physical and mental endurance, and they’re surprisingly beneficial when it comes to working your legs and your core.
Here’s what you need to know about them.
What Is The Wall Sit Exercise?
Before we look at the many different benefits which are out there, we’ll first take a look at precisely what wall sits are.
If you’re looking for an exercise that is easy to master, this is the exercise for you, though don’t be fooled, because it’s certainly not a particularly easy exercise and you will struggle after a while.
Basically, this is an endurance exercise that is carried out over a prolonged period of time, just like planks, as opposed to being done in reps.
The exercise requires participants to stand against a wall with their backs facing it and to slowly slide down the wall until they are in a seated position as if they’re sitting on an invisible chair, making sure to keep their backs against the wall.
You are basically sitting/squatting against the wall for as long as possible, though most people only manage around 30 – 60 seconds.
The exercise works your quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and core and although it sounds simple, it is in fact much harder than a lot of people realize, especially as more and more time passes by.
What Are The Wall Sit Benefits?
Okay, so, we’ve looked at what wall sits are and how to do them, but now it’s time to take a look at what it is about wall sits that makes them so awesome and effective.
Here’s a look at several awesome benefits.
Benefit #1: Easy To Do
As we mentioned earlier, there are some exercises out there that are just very difficult to master.
The wall sitting, however, is not one of those exercises.
Wall sits are very easy to do, so you won’t need to spend hours watching and reading tutorials on how to do them.
Basically, if you can squat against a wall, you can do a wall sit.
Benefit #2: No Gym Needed
Gyms are pretty awesome, but they aren’t for everybody.
Some people prefer to exercise outside of a gym, and some simply don’t have the finances, the time, or even transportation, to be able to travel to a gym and train.
If you don’t have access to a gym or just don’t feel like hitting the gym on any particular day, you can simply go ahead and perform wall sits pretty much anywhere there is a sturdy and secure wall.
Benefit #3: No Equipment is Needed
Another example of the wonderful benefits of doing wall sits that are out there is the fact that wall sits are great for people that don’t have any gym equipment.
Wall sits are awesome because you don’t require any gym kit or any fitness accessories.
The only thing that you need, is a wall to lean against.
So, unless you’re stuck in a field or desert with no walls, or trees to lean up against, you can do wall sits anywhere.
Benefit #4: Adaptable
Okay, so, assuming you don’t have access to a wall, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do this exercise.
Another awesome benefit is the fact that you could do them against your vehicle, as long as you’re careful, or even a tree if you’re outdoors and in the wilderness.
Benefit #5: Burn Calories
People think that the only way to burn calories is to perform strenuous physical activity whereby you’re constantly on the move.
In truth, wall sits are a great exercise for people looking to lose weight, even though the exercise itself is fairly sedentary.
With wall sits, the first few seconds will feel easy, but the more you do it, the longer the exercise will last, and the harder it will become.
To stop your legs from giving out on you, you’ll fight with everything that you’ve got and will burn off a surprisingly high amount of calories.
By the time you finish, your heart rate will be noticeably elevated, which means that you will be burning more calories than average.
Benefit #6: Stronger Leg Strength
If you thought that squats, deadlifts, and lunges were the only way to increase your leg strength, you’ve obviously never tried wall sits.
For those of you looking to bring up your leg strength, wall sits are ideal.
If you think about it, your legs are supporting your entire body, and are the only thing preventing you from falling to the floor when you do this exercise.
The more you do them, the more you will condition your legs to be able to handle your weight on a daily basis.
Not only will your legs become stronger, but they will also generate more power as well.
Benefit #7: Great Accessory Exercise
As we just mentioned, wall sits are great for strengthening the legs and increasing leg power.
Because of this, you’ll find that your pressing power increases noticeably, so your leg press will increase, as will your squat, hack squat, leg extension, and leg curl.
If you want to bring up your lifts that predominantly focus on your lower body, wall sits are the perfect exercise to do exactly that.
Benefit #8: Build Muscular Legs
Not only will your legs become stronger and more powerful as you perform more wall sits, but you will also notice how your legs become more muscular as well.
Another of the awesome benefits that we’re going to be looking at in today’s article is the fact that wall sits will help you to build a set of muscular legs.
Wall sits target your quadriceps, your hamstrings, your calves, and your glutes, which over time, will result in impressive amounts of muscular hypertrophy.
In simple terms, wall sits will help you to build muscle in your legs.
Benefit #9: Strengthen Your Core
Not only will wall sits help to strengthen your legs, but they will also work wonders for people looking to strengthen their cores as well.
Because of the angle that you “sit” against the wall, you’ll find that you are having to engage your core stabilizer muscles in order to hold yourself nice and still while doing the exercise.
Wall sits are similar to leg raises, except for the fact that your core is constantly tensed, and your legs remain stationary.
If you are looking for a strong core, though, wall sits are the perfect exercise for you.
Benefit #10: Improved Balance
One of the lesser-known benefits that we’ll be covering today, is the fact that wall sits are great for people who are trying to improve their balance.
Because of the fact that the exercise requires you to stay balanced and stationary up against a wall, if you wobble or lose your balance, you’ll find that you collapse and have to start over.
The more wall sits that you perform, the better your balance will become.
Having a good balance is beneficial in everyday life, and in a sporting capacity so really, when you think about it, it’s a win-win.
Benefit #11: Can Be Adapted
Another reason why wall sits are considered to be so awesome is the fact that they can be adapted for different people.
Say, for example, you find standard wall sits too easy and can easily do them for several minutes with no problems at all, you’ll likely want to find ways of making the exercise tougher.
So, what can you do?
Well, a lot of people find that they can adapt the exercise and make it harder in various ways.
One of the best ways of making wall sits tougher is to do them on one leg, so rather than squatting on both legs, you’re just squatting on one.
This really will improve your balance and work your core like you wouldn’t believe, so why not try them if you are finding them a little too easy?
Benefit #12: Can Be Done With Weights
How do you do a wall sit with weights?
Surely you don’t sit on the weights themselves, as that would be very painful, right?
Of course, it would, but you can still do wall sits with weights, by simply grabbing a set of dumbbells and performing various dumbbell exercises while in the wall sit position or just doing it with a weighted vest.
You can work on your pressing power by doing dumbbell shoulder presses in a wall sit, you can do weighted wall sits with the dumbbells resting on your quads, you can do wall sits with biceps curls, and plenty more besides.
Benefit #13: Save Time
In a perfect world, we’d have several hours spare to go and exercise and really push ourselves to our limits when training, but sadly, not everybody can spare 2 – 3 hours per day to exercise.
In fact, some people struggle to find a spare hour on some days, which is where the wall sits proves to be so useful yet again.
Wall sits are ideal for people in a rush because they can be done so quickly.
Most people will struggle to do a wall sit for longer than 60 seconds at a time, which means that 4 rounds of wall sit will result in you getting a heck of a workout, in less than 5 minutes.
Benefit #14: Build A Six-pack
Okay, if you’re eating junk food and are sitting with body fat percentages above 30%, wall sits likely won’t get you a set of six-pack abs.
Don’t get us wrong, they’ll build up the abs, but they won’t become visible until you diet down.
If your body fat percentages are already low, however, wall sits will work wonders for those of you who are looking for a set of six-pack abs.
The fact that wall sits are so effective when it comes to training the core means that performing this exercise will help you get a set of defined abdominal muscles that will look as if they’ve been carved directly out of granite.
Benefit #15: Strengthen Your Mind
When it comes to training, we need to focus on the mental benefits of exercise, as well as the physical.
In terms of the many benefits that are out there to be enjoyed, one of the key advantages of doing this exercise is the fact that it will help strengthen your mind.
Wall sits will begin to hurt after a while, and it will boil down to mind over matter.
The more you can fight and resist the pain, the stronger your mind will become.
Benefit #16: Improved Mental Health
Not only will your mind become stronger as you perform wall sits, but you’ll also find that your mental health improves too.
Exercise, and yes, that does include wall sits, is ideal for people’s mental health as it helps boost endorphins and fight mental health issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety.
How To Do A Wall Sit?
If you’re looking to incorporate wall sits into your everyday training routine, it certainly pays to understand exactly how to perform wall sits properly.
Wall sits are not difficult to do, and best of all is the fact that they can be done anywhere where there is a wall, or a flat surface to support your back.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to do a wall sit:
- Begin the exercise by standing close to a wall, around 2 feet away, with your back facing the wall. Make sure you’re standing the correct distance away, so adjust based on your height and leg length. Sit too close to the wall, and you won’t get your legs in the right spot. Sit too far away, and you could slip and injure yourself.
- Next up, with feet shoulder-width apart, lean back against the wall, placing your back firmly against the wall, and then slowly slide down the wall with your back until both thighs are now parallel with the floor.
- Make sure that your knees are above your ankles and that they’re bent at 90-degree angles.
- Now, keeping your shoulders, back, and head pressed against the wall, hold this position for between 20 and 60 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, and then repeat the process over and over again a further 3 – 5 rounds.
- You may notice that it feels easy, especially the more you do it, in which case just alter the time and try to spend longer in the sitting position between each round.
- If you want to test yourself, you can try other variations such as weighted wall sits single-leg wall sits, and even exercise ball wall sits.
Final Thoughts:
So, as you can see, there are many wall sit benefits to be enjoyed from this basic exercise.
Don’t let the simplicity of this exercise fool you, it really is an incredibly physically demanding exercise that will push you to your limits and beyond.
Don’t believe us?
Go ahead and try it for yourself.
FAQ's About Wall Sit:
How To Make Wall Sits Easier?
If you want to make these exercises even easier, try using a chair instead of a wall. Just place both of your feet on the seat of the chair and then lean forward until your back rests against the back of the chair. Hold this position for 10-15 second intervals and repeat 5 times.
What Muscle Do Wall Sits Work?
Wall sits are a great way to work your core muscles without having to do any heavy lifting. They can help improve posture, strengthen your back, quads, hamstrings, and glutes, and increase your endurance.
What Are Wall Sits Good For?
Wall sits are great for your back! They can help strengthen your core muscles, improve posture, increase flexibility, and reduce stress.
Wall sits are great if you have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. You don’t need any equipment to do them. All you need is a wall, and some space to sit comfortably.
Wall sits are great to relieve lower back pain. If you have been sitting at a desk all day, try doing wall sits before bedtime.
Wall sits are great exercises to do while watching TV. Just lean against the wall and rest your feet flat on the floor.
Wall sits are great after working out. After a hard workout, you should spend some time stretching and cooling down. Wall sits are perfect for this.
Wall Sits Vs. Squats
Wall sits are great for your back! They work your core muscles and help keep your lower back strong. You can do them anywhere, even at home.
Squatting is a great way to strengthen your legs and build muscle mass. You can do squats anywhere too, but they’re best done in a gym setting.
Both exercises are great for building muscle and strengthening your core. But if you want to get stronger, focus on doing more reps.
How Many Calories Do Wall Sits Burn?
Wall sits are a great way to burn calories while sitting at home. You can do wall sits anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. If you're looking to lose weight, then you should try doing wall sits for 20-30 minutes, which will allow you to burn 66 to 114 calories, depending on your weight.
The best thing about this exercise is that you don't have to go to the gym or spend money on equipment. All you need is your own body weight and a wall.
What If My Lower Back Hurts While Doing Wall Sits?
If you feel any pain in your lower back while performing wall sits, stop immediately. This could indicate that you have developed a muscle imbalance. If you continue to do wall sits without addressing this issue, you may develop a permanent injury.
