Knee pain during squats is the single most common reason people abandon one of the most effective lower body exercises available. In most cases, the pain is not a reason to stop squatting permanently — it is a signal that something specific about the movement needs to be corrected. These seven causes cover the overwhelming majority of squat-related knee issues, and each has a targeted fix.
7 Reasons Your Knees Hurt During Squats (And Exactly How to Fix Each One)
1. Knees caving inward during the descent or ascent. Valgus knee collapse, where the knees track inward rather than staying in line with the toes, places enormous stress on the medial knee structures.
This is almost always a glute medius weakness problem. Fix: band walks, clamshells, and hip abduction exercises to strengthen the glute medius, combined with conscious cueing to push the knees outward during squatting.
2. Heels rising off the floor.
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