Squatting is a foundational exercise that’s essential for building strength and power in the lower body. It’s a compound move that engages some of the largest muscles in your body—the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. To ensure safety and optimal performance, it’s crucial to prep your muscles and joints with appropriate stretches before hitting those heavy squat sets. Here are the 7 best stretches you can do to get ready to crush your personal records (PRs) in squatting.

1. Hip Flexor Stretch: Tight hip flexors can limit your squat depth. Kneel on one knee (cushion your knee if needed) and push your hips forward, while keeping your back upright. Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.

2. Ankle Dorsiflexion: Ankle mobility is key for proper squat form. Stand facing a wall, with one foot back and one foot in front about few inches from the wall. Lean forward, trying to touch your knee to the wall without lifting your heel. This targets the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon.

3. Dynamic Leg Swings: These are great for activating the muscles around your hips. Hold onto a steady surface or a wall, swing one leg forward and backward, then side to side for 15-20 swings in each direction.

4. Piriformis Stretch: This stretch will help release tension in your glutes and improve hip rotation. Seated on the ground, cross one leg over the other so that your foot is beside your knee. Gently pull the crossed leg towards your chest and hold.

5. Adductor Stretch: Inner thigh flexibility can contribute to better knee tracking during squats. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, bend one knee and shift your weight to that side while keeping the other leg straight.

6. Squat-to-Stand with Reach: This dynamic stretch combines range of motion work with stretching. Stand with feet at squat width apart, bend down to grab underneath your toes, sit into a deep squat then extend one arm at a time towards the ceiling while looking at it.

7. Cat-Camel Back Stretch: Warm-up your spine with this gentle flexion-extension exercise on all fours—arch your back up like a cat stretching, then lower it into a camel’s back position.

Incorporating these stretches into your pre-squat routine will help prepare you better for squats by improving flexibility, circulation, and muscle activation, setting you up to potentially achieve new PRs with better form and reduced risk of injury.