Are Deep Squats Bad for Your Knees?
The knee advice women have been getting wrong
Have you ever been told:
“NEVER ever let your knees go past your toes, and do NOT squat deeper than 90 degrees.”
Along with this outdated advice, often our instinct is to completely avoid using a joint if it feels weak or achy.
But too much avoidance can actually lead to even more weakness, stiffness and a loss of function over time!
The reality?
Our knees are built to bend…
…and regularly moving them fully helps maintain their strength, mobility, and function.
A move like a deep squat—yes, where your knees even go past your toes—is exactly what healthy knees need to become stronger and more resilient.
In today’s issue, we’re going to dive into the deep squat as a tool for strengthening your knees,
…because 👉 for something to get stronger, it needs to be challenged—and your joints are no exception.
JUST ONE THING
When performed with control, deep squats can help strengthen your entire knee joint…
…while helping you maintain the ability to move confidently through everyday life.
Your JUST ONE THING to Strengthen Your Knees
Do Deep Squats Daily
Buuuut, they might not be for everyone.
Should YOU do deep squats?
👉 If your knees are generally healthy and relatively pain-free, work towards squatting as deeply as feels comfortable. You might feel “tight”, but as long you don’t experience any sharp pains, you’re good to go.
(And intentionally pushing your knee to go past your toes when you do it will load your knee tendons even more to encourage them to become stronger.)
Should YOU modify deep squats?
👉 If you have significant knee pain, ligament issues or advanced osteoarthritis, don’t avoid squats altogether. Instead, squat within a comfortable range (which might be higher than 90 degrees for now) and gradually build your strength over time.
Your challenge: Perform 10 deep squats every day this week. 💪
Not sure where to begin or how to safely do a deep squat?
Check out this video 👇 where I walk you through the steps of safely doing deep squats.
Deep Squat Progression
- Step One: Use assistance (i.e. back of chair, countertop) to help get down and up
- Step Two: Build your thigh strength by slowly sitting down into a chair and standing back up 10 times
- Step Three: Add some weight to your chair squats to make your thighs work harder
Extra Tip: Hold onto the edge of your counter at the sink for more support as you lower down and stand back up. Gradually, use just one hand and then eventually try without hands.
Did You Know...
- Lowering your body deeply into a squat position is needed for many daily activities—getting down on the floor and back up again, climbing out of low chairs, even putting your shoes on without assistance.
- Knees are a very common joint that experiences osteoarthritis. Rather than avoiding movement in arthritic joints, remember “MOTION IS LOTION”! Your joints will almost always feel better if they stay moving.
- Tight ankles can limit your ability to squat deeply! So, if your heels lift up when you squat down, this is a sign that your ankles are tight and your calves could use more stretching.
Until next week... Be strong💪
