>if a joint doesn’t go through its full range—if the hips and knees never go past 90 degrees
You don't need to squat to have your knees go past 90 degrees. This would only be an issue for people that are literally bed-ridden, for everyone else our joints move plenty while walking, sitting down and lying in bed at night. I'm sure stretching is good but you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating.
> you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating
I believe it will. Specifically, not squatting (or otherwise flexing it fully) will cause a person to lose the full range of motion in their ankles.
Of course, you may not care. You may have no NEED to flex your ankles past a certain point. But you ARE losing flexibility, just as you will lose the ability to do splits if you don't practice them regularly.
Agreed, and walking does not put it near 90 degrees. I lived overseas almost 8 years in SE Asia, and learning to properly squat flat-footed has really made me more flexible, and loosened up my hips and ankles. I also sat on a Pilates ball for 6 to 7 years, but now that I am back in the US, I've gained weight, and sitting at a desk 7 or more hours a day is wreaking havoc on my back and making me stiff again. I take squat breaks, and squat to fill the coffee pot instead of bending over at the water cooler. Bending is something done different in SE Asia too compared to in the West. I lived in a Javanese rice farming village for over a year, and watching and doing the planting and harvesting showed the difference to me. My wife is Indonesian and will perch in a squat on the edge of a chair or sofa while she eats - for 20 minutes. I still can only perch or squat for 5 to 10 minutes maximum.
You don't need to squat to have your knees go past 90 degrees. This would only be an issue for people that are literally bed-ridden, for everyone else our joints move plenty while walking, sitting down and lying in bed at night. I'm sure stretching is good but you're making it sound like not squatting will lead to your joints degenerating.