Stop doing SQUATS!

ddeleonm09

Hopefully I got your attention lol. I need some input. So a few weeks after I started exercising I started to notice some knee pain...mostly in my left knee. It wasn't too bad so I just ignored it. I started doing a March Squat challenge and have since noticed that the pain has tremendously increased and now in both knees. I have double-checked on my form and it's fine. My weight is all in the back of my heels and knees are NEVER past my toes. I started taking glucosamine and a multivitamin, but still didn't feel any relief. I asked the doctor today and he said I should stop doing too many squats for now and do more lower impact exercises such as walking and swimming. He said losing weight is best and then start doing strength exercises. I really, really, really don't want to stop doing squats and much less stop doing P90x (which is an awesome workout by the way). Is there anything else I can do? Maybe a supplement?

Sabine_Stroehm

Are you sure your knees aren't turning in toward each other? I see that a lot, particularly with women who want to "lift heavy". Stop at least til you heal.

grantdumas7

For now stop with squats until your knees feel better. Adding Fish Oil may help .

concordancia

You need to heal; even your doctor said "for now." Find a form of exercise that does not exasperate your knee and try again in a few weeks.

In the meantime, you can look up knee strengthening exercises.

Trilby16

Squats are hard on the knees. So is being overweight. I have to really limit my squats because I KNOW I have knee issues, like arthritis. You want the muscle strength but have to be very careful. Just cause Jillian Michaels (for instance) may tell you to, don't do more than YOU know you can do.

ddeleonm09

Nope, my form is fine and I don't use weights. I used to have a trainer that would force squats on me and believe me he always made sure I did them right lol.

links_slayer

Are you certain you're using proper form?

mandipandi75

Rest and an anti inflammatory (ibuprofin). You can also use ice. Give it some time to heal.

merflan

Both my physio and sports med said keeping knees behind your feet is a pervasive myth that just perpetuates knee injury. Its natural to have your knee come forward a bit. I def. felt less pain in my knees when I stopped focusing on keeping my knees from coming over my toes.

ddeleonm09

For now stop with squats until your knees feel better. Adding Fish Oil may help .

Does fish oil really work? I've tried to research it, but I haven't found too much info on that.

Cheri_Moves

Interesting your doctor would say to stop strength training until you lose weight... IMO, this is where the rule of "not all doctors are created equal" would come into play.

If you have insurance or the ability to do so, maybe see an orthopedist. I have IT band syndrome (a very hurting left knee) and cannot run, and I am strength training with a ton of heavy squats to build those muscles so I will not have this injury in the future.

GOOD LUCK!

MyChocolateDiet

you said the dr. said "for now" why not take a break from them and give your knee a chance to heal before an injury might happen. in the meantime maybe recumbant bike or something else.

Cheri_Moves

Both my physio and sports med said keeping knees behind your feet is a pervasive myth that just perpetuates knee injury. Its natural to have your knee come forward a bit. I def. felt less pain in my knees when I stopped focusing on keeping my knees from coming over my toes.

I agree. I watch LOTS of youtube videos for lift demonstrations. It helps And keep taking the joint compound, it may take some time before you start noticing the effects, but I swear by it.

mcjabber

Keep doing the un-squatty parts of P90X. And maybe after a few days or a week, or however long you feel you need, perhaps try starting squats again but not going as deep. It's possible that your legs/butt aren't quite strong enough to support the movement so more pressure is going into the knees. Maybe build it back up slowly?

ddeleonm09

Interesting your doctor would say to stop strength training until you lose weight... IMO, this is where the rule of "not all doctors are created equal" would come into play.

If you have insurance or the ability to do so, maybe see an orthopedist. I have IT band syndrome (a very hurting left knee) and cannot run, and I am strength training with a ton of heavy squats to build those muscles so I will not have this injury in the future.

GOOD LUCK!

Lol exactly! I was wondering "how am I supposed to build strength if I can't doing strength exercises?"

Melo1966

Stop doing them daily or you could cause further injury, change to every other day and fewer of them. I can not do squats daily, far too much pain. Supplements and minerials that I make sure my diet has that has greatly helped with the joint pain includes fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, niacin, magnesium, potassium, calcium and tart cherry.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

You can always use the leg press until your knees recover. Reduce the weight, don't hyperextend the knee, and make sure you engage the glutes with every extension.

There are plenty of people on here who use the leg press in lieu of doing squats for that very reason. Leg press is still considered a compound exercise, but it works less of the core. It is an excellent stop-gap measure, and even a good accessory once you are able to do squats again.

Sorry you're experiencing knee pain.

GuybrushThreepw00d

How deep are you squatting? Is your hip joint below your knee joint?

ddeleonm09

Both my physio and sports med said keeping knees behind your feet is a pervasive myth that just perpetuates knee injury. Its natural to have your knee come forward a bit. I def. felt less pain in my knees when I stopped focusing on keeping my knees from coming over my toes.

Really? Omg I can still hear my last trainer's voice in the back of my head telling me to never let my knees go past my toes lol.

pinballwyzard

Are you stretching sufficiently after your workouts? I used to get really bad constant knee pain - and not just when actually doing the squats but in day-to-day life. It got so bad at one point that just walking from point A to point B was agony.

I found that the pain wasn't related to my form at all but because my IT bands were tight and were pulling on the knee cap which was causing the pain. I am a slack at stretching and even now will notice my knee 'pulling' and know that I need to get some stretches in.

I have found the best way to relieve tight IT bands is with a foam roller or if you don't have one of these, a tennis ball does it. Here is a link for how to stretch with a foam roller - you can of course substitute a tennis ball if you don't have a roller.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/iliotibial-tract-smr

Hope this helps.

meshashesha2012

there's a bit more to form than just weight on heels and knees not going over toes.
in fact the knee being over your toes isnt as much of an issue (or any issue at all for that matter) as long as you knees are following the direction of your feet and you have the impression of spreading the floor when you squat. also the shallower your squat, the more pressure on the knee joint.

with that said though you should definitely take some time off from squatting to let your knee heal

ddeleonm09

How deep are you squatting? Is your hip joint below your knee joint?

I squat pretty deep to work on my glutes. I alternate squat types. With some I do and others I stay parallel.

taso42

There is no reason to try to restrict your knees from going past your toes. If your anatomy is such that they need to, then you are putting an unnecessary strain on yourself.

You keep saying your form is "fine" but we have no way to really know that. Maybe you're not squatting with enough depth.

You say you're doing body weight only. If you were to add weight, you would strengthen the muscles around your knees, and may see decrease in knee issues.

Do you have video of you squatting?

ddeleonm09

Stop doing them daily or you could cause further injury, change to every other day and fewer of them. I can not do squats daily, far too much pain. Supplements and minerials that I make sure my diet has that has greatly helped with the joint pain includes fish oil, glucosamine, chondroitin, niacin, magnesium, potassium, calcium and tart cherry.

Thanks for the info on the vitamins!

HealthWoke0ish

When I played ball in high school, I had a sore knee and the trainer had me do, instead of the up-down-up-down of the squat, a squat and hold. It worked for me because the motion, not the strain of the hold, was what was exacerbating the situation in my circumstance. Hope you find what works. Good luck. !

Edit: I also was made to wear neoprene sleeves on my knees (I still wear 'em). It helped/helps them stay warm and loose.

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Both my physio and sports med said keeping knees behind your feet is a pervasive myth that just perpetuates knee injury. Its natural to have your knee come forward a bit. I def. felt less pain in my knees when I stopped focusing on keeping my knees from coming over my toes.

Really? Omg I can still hear my last trainer's voice in the back of my head telling me to never let my knees go past my toes lol.

Women tend to have longer femur to whole leg length ratios, which makes it nearly impossible for many to never let knees go past toes. You can try putting small 2.5 pound plates under your heels until your form is improved. That will also keep you from pitching forward at the bottom of your squat.

Still hold that you can leg press until your knees recover, though.

sam308lbs

Are you certain you're using proper form?

This.I would suggest you make a video and post here so we can crosscheck your form

bumblebums

Definitely take a break from squats for at least a couple of weeks.

Do you have access to leg machines at the gym? It might be safer for you to work on those than to squat, at least for a while.

You could also take up yoga to work on strengthening the muscles around the knee and improving alignment--but make sure to shop around for a teacher who (a) has many years of experience and (b) is well-versed in working around injuries. Teachers in the Iyengar and Anusara traditions are best for that, in my opinion. Avoid power yoga/Vinyasa.

3laine75

Are you going, '*kitten* to the grass' squats? My knees have actually improved. I also swear by omega3 supplements - I even give them to the dog for his old dodgy hips. And blueberries, believe it or not.

Why do all doctors say to swim? This is the exercise that gives my knee the most jip

Good luck with it.

deadmittens

I would recommend following your docs orders. Trying to do high impact workouts with excess weight on your body only makes it harder on your joints.

2hmom

Everybody is telling you the same thing, please listen. Get on a bicycle til the knee is better. It will strengthen the muscles around the knee. Good luck.