Squat alternatives for medical issues?
19wilson88
Posts: 30 Member
I have some right knee tendon pain (probably an overuse injury from running in bad shoes on concrete) and my doctor advised me to avoid "deep knee bend" exercises to avoid irritating it. This would mean not doing squats. So, for the time being, I need to lay off that exercise; does anyone else have this issue? What do you do to strengthen quads, hamstrings, glutes, etc (all the muscle groups hit by the wonderful squat)?
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If done correctly squatting shouldn't be affecting your knees. I have previously torn ligaments in my knee from football (soccer) and have no problems with squatting.
If the injury is new, as in you have just had it diagnosed then rest it up and take some anti inflammatory drugs to help the healing, at the end of the day squatting is the same as sitting down on a chair, so avoiding it is going to be difficult.
But at the end of the day I'm not going against drs advice so it may be worth discussing exercise with him.0 -
I had a bad experience with quad tendinitis about a year ago. My knee was very sore.
I rested my knee for 2 weeks, took Motrin and made sure I was stretching very well pre and post workout. Haven't had any issues since.0 -
you need to ask a physio, because the answer will depend on exactly what's wrong with your knee and exactly what kinds of movements you need to avoid
while it's true that squats should, in general, help rather than worsen knee and back issues, this advice depends on exactly what's wrong to begin with, as some kinds of injuries are worsened by squats and the same is true about a whole bunch of other exercises, including running, and pretty much everything. Please don't take advice on this matter from the internet!! Please go back to your doctor and ask for more specific advice on what exercises to do, if your doctor can't tell you, ask to be referred to a sports physio. There usually is a safe alternative exercise, but the advice needs to come from someone who a) knows all the specifics of your exact injury and b) is qualified to give that kind of advice.0 -
Do you experience any pain when doing squats? Did the doctor prescribe any medication?
Do not externally rotate your feet when you run or walk. This can cause knee problems. Your feet are supposed to be parallel to your thighs.
Some good alternatives would be leg press and hack squats.0
