Flamingo Squat? Know Why Celebs And Trainers Swear By It

You must have fantasised striking a pose like the beautiful flamingo bird for a glamorous photo op. Or dreamt about a dancing posture like the slender pink-plumed beauty to post a reel. Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria have all done it with enviable grace.

Now awaken a flamingo inside you to power your workout routine for achieving greater balance and core strength.

Claim to fame

Celebrity fitness trainer and yoga expert Giri Yadav defines a flamingo squat to be “a single-leg position where the other rear limb is lifted off the ground, resembling a flamingo’s posture, hence the name.”

Incidentally, a flamingo often stands on one leg with the other folded in its layers of feathers or being obliquely bent. This slanting of one hind limb with the other held in a strong upright position copies the elegant posture of a flamingo. That’s why the exercise is dubbed a flamingo squat. Interestingly, the same is applied to ‘flamingo test’ for assessing an individual’s physical fitness levels by adjudging his/her balance and leg strength.

Renowned fitness expert, wellness coach and author Deanne Panday explains the basic movement. “With one leg tucked behind the other leg’s knee, squat down as low as you can with your back up under control. Aim to maintain knee alignment and stability throughout,” she says. Prima facie, this stylised bend also looks like a yoga pose.

Manner of performance

The flamingo squat requires control and coordination. “To execute it with perfection, you need to shift your weight onto one leg and lift the opposite leg slightly behind you, almost as if you are mid-stride or striking a flamingo pose. From thereon, you lower your body into a squat position on the erect leg, keeping your chest straight up and the core engaged. Your lifted leg doesn’t touch the ground; it just hovers. It’s a slow, regulated movement and that’s what makes it so effective.

There’s no momentum to hide behind. Your muscles have to do all the hard work,” elaborates strength and conditioning coach Hemant Dhingra in detail.

Yadav advises to “concentrate on the core and return to standing while squatting down on the leg in vertical stance”.

Merits

Flamingo squat offers many benefits to reap from. “It improves balance, strengthens glutes, quads and the core, enhancing coordination and unilateral strength,” lists Yadav.

“What makes flamingo squats stand out is how they combine multiple elements of fitness like strength, balance, synchronisation and core stability into one move. By working on one leg at a time or alternating the legs, you are not just amassing strength; you are also correcting left-right imbalances that often go unnoticed,” views Dhingra.

This movement activates stabiliser muscles, which play a critical role in injury prevention, especially for athletes and other sportspersons or those recovering from lower-body issues. It also improves proprioception — your body’s awareness or ability to sense its position and movement — vital for functional motion in everyday life.

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Key takeaways

Flamingo squat positively impacts body parts like the muscles and joints. “It targets glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and the core muscles that gain from this workout big time. It also toughens the knee and ankle joints,” reports Yadav.

At the same time, the core region — especially the obliques and transversus abdominis (both muscles of the abdomen for core stability and motion) — is fully involved to keep the torso well-aligned. “Even your upper back and arms contribute a bit as they help maintain the posture and balance aptly. It’s a surprisingly comprehensive movement, much opposed to what looks like a simple squat variation at a cursory glance,” notes Dhingra.

Minimal stress

Flamingo squats are a “low-impact but highly effective exercise for muscle toning and joint stability without exerting excessive pressure on the joints,” comments Yadav.

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There’s no jumping or high-impact landing in this routine, which makes it absolutely joint-friendly. “But don’t confuse low impact with low intensity,” insists Dhingra. “Flamingo squats require strength, precision and control, especially if done slowly and properly. That makes them ideal for anyone looking to fortify their lower body without straining their knees or hips, especially in case of older adults or people recuperating from injury or anyone prioritising joint longevity,” he sheds light.