How do I squat without my knees hurting?

A knee-friendly box squat

• 1. Stand in front of a firm chair or bench with feet a little wider than hip-width and toes turned slightly out
• 2. Hold your arms out in front for balance
• 3. Push your hips back as if reaching for the chair, letting the knees bend at the same time
• 4. Keep your knees pointing over your second and third toes, not collapsing inwards
• 5. Lightly touch the chair without flopping down, then drive up through your heels and mid-foot
• 6. Do two or three sets of eight to twelve, slow on the way down

Adjusting when it still hurts

• Use a higher seat, such as a bed or a chair with a cushion, to reduce how far the knee bends
• Slow the lowering phase to three seconds; control often eases pain
• Try a slightly wider stance or more hip hinge if pain is at the front of the knee
• Hold onto a counter for support while you rebuild confidence

A little discomfort that fades within a day is usually acceptable. Pain that rises set after set, or swelling the next day, means you need to scale back.

At the gym

If you train with weights, keep the bar or dumbbells light until body-weight squats to your chosen depth are easy. Many people with sore knees do well with goblet squats holding one dumbbell at the chest, as it encourages an upright back. Deep squats with heavy load are not off-limits forever, but they belong at the end of rehabilitation, not the start.

When squat pain needs a knee check

See a knee specialist in Doha if the knee locks or catches at the bottom of a squat, gives way, swells after training, or if you cannot squat at all after a twisting injury. These point to problems such as a meniscus tear or cartilage injury that exercise alone will not settle.