Are Squats Bad for My Knees?

Squats may be the most functional and beneficial lower body exercise an individual can perform. Think about how many times you perform some sort of squat throughout your day without thinking about it from getting in and out of your car, getting on and off the toilet, picking up your children, going up and down stairs (a modified single leg squat), etc. Most Americans spend over half their day sitting at work, in their car, and watching television. The amount of time we spend sitting increases as we age while our activity level goes down. Therefore, stiffness in our joints and weakness in our lower extremities increase causing a vicious cycle leading to more a sedentary lifestyle. Squats can counteract this decline by activating your gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves.

First, have someone look above the knee when you squat to check your form. If your knees are caving in or your pelvis drops on one side as compared to the other, you may need to strengthen your hips specifically the gluteus medius muscle. Performing a side-lying clamshell exercise is a great place to start. Next, look below the knee at your ankle joint. You may have great lower extremity strength overall but limited range of motion in the ankle will cause poor form a you try to get deeper into your squat. You may require manual therapy, joint mobilization and soft tissue mobilization, from a qualified physical therapist to improve your ankle mobility.

If you still have discomfort when performing squats, you may need to modify your program. You can start by sitting in a chair, feet hip width apart, and move to stand (with or without the use of your hands to push up). Keep your weight in your heels and do not let your knees go past your toes. Return to a seated position. Repeat 10 times. If this proves too difficult, you may need further modifications to non-weight bearing exercises such as seated leg extensions or straight leg raises in supine lying position.