Squatting is a great exercise, but it can cause knee pain if done wrong. The good news? A simple tip can help.
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What Causes Knee Pain When You Squat?
Many people make 2 big mistakes that cause knee pain when squatting:
- They push their knees too far in front of their toes causing excessive pain under their kneecaps.
- Thy allow their knees to buckle inwards causing inner knee pain.
However, even after trying to fix these 2 problems, many people continue to have knee pan when squatting.
Don't get me wrong...
Sitting back on your heels and turning your knees out are both great tips to squat without knee pain.
However, you have to look a little further down the chain at your feet.
The Secret Tip to Squat Without Knee Pain
The tip that many people don't know about starts in the feet. Your feet naturally have an arch that makes them strong like a bridge.
When you maintain that arch, you create a strong and stable base for the rest of your body.
If you let your arch flatten, you lose stability. No matter how much you turn your knees out, a flat foot makes you weaker and more at risk for knee pain when squatting
How to Squat Without Knee Pain
Start with your feet at a comfortable width apart.
Grip the floor with your toes and form a strong arch in your foot. Pretend there is a thumbtack under your arch and you don’t want to squash it.
As you squat, keep your arch domed. At the same time, push your knees out and keep your core tight. Stack your lower leg bones over the arches and sit back with your hips, keeping your spine in a neutral position.
Once you reach the bottom position of the squat, drive through your heels to push yourself back to a standing position while keeping your arch lifted and knees turned out.
Adding Weight Safely
Once you feel comfortable with bodyweight squats, you can add weight.
Start with a goblet squat, holding a dumbbell in front of you.
Or you can use a barbell on your back.
The key is to keep the same setup. Keep your arches domed, grip the floor, drive your knees out, and push your hips back.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to squat without knee pain starts at your feet. Keeping your arches strong makes your whole body more stable and powerful.
Need Help to Squat Without Knee Pain?
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