Knees hurt so bad after lunges

sammy_c_read
sammy_c_read Posts: 22 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Can anyone help me out? I avoid lunges at all costs because they kill my knees and I think its probably cause my knee comes over my foot or something like that but I absolutely hate lunges and so many good exercises include them.

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Probably too narrow a stance or pushing off the toes or some such form issue.

    1. Watch form videos and compare to what you're doing.
    2. Try reverse lunges as they are harder to get wrong
    3. Try walking lunges as they are tend to self correct the knee shearing issue.
    4. Try a wider stance
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    You are probably rolling it inwards, this will injure you, not just hurt some, it will harm you. Best to have a trainer watch, but what works for me is:

    Hold your butt strong
    Screw your front foot down like you are turning the toes outward but can't because it's stuck to the floor
    Hold the arch of your foot up, trying to keep it lifted so the heel, toes, ball of foot and outside edge of foot are supporting you.
    Bend the front leg, trying to aim it out, not over your big toe, but over your little toe.
    Hold your weight UP, use your butt and hamstrings to feel lifted.

    We do a lot of lunge poses in yoga and I have to pay conscious attention to these things - arch of foot up, foot grounded, feel lifted and knee going slightly outward.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    I have not been able to do lunges for years, proper form or not, no matter how strong I was. I have had a precursor to arthritis called degeneration of the chrondomalatia patella, so any forward lunging motion kills me. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

    Aside from that, form is important, have someone help/watch you.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    i don't do lunges. its ok to not do something that hurts, There are enough other exercises you can choose from. Lunges are knee killers.
  • brb_2013
    brb_2013 Posts: 1,197 Member
    I read somewhere that lunges are just the worst, and that other exercises are much easier on the joints. I personally no longer do them and only do squats. They don't hurt my knees at all, but studying up on form could help out.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    Split squats ("stationary lunges") and step-ups are good substitutes for lunges that tend to be easier on the knees. For both, keep the front knee from going forward of the toes. :+1:
    robininfl wrote: »
    Best to have a trainer watch, but what works for me is:
    Hold your butt strong

    With one hand or both? B)
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    You realize that most leg exercises can be bad for your knees if done with poor/improper form?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,922 Member
    DavPul wrote: »
    Probably too narrow a stance or pushing off the toes or some such form issue.

    1. Watch form videos and compare to what you're doing.
    2. Try reverse lunges as they are harder to get wrong
    3. Try walking lunges as they are tend to self correct the knee shearing issue.
    4. Try a wider stance

    This.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Split squats ("stationary lunges") and step-ups are good substitutes for lunges that tend to be easier on the knees. For both, keep the front knee from going forward of the toes. :+1:
    robininfl wrote: »
    Best to have a trainer watch, but what works for me is:
    Hold your butt strong

    With one hand or both? B)

    Ha! One hand until you build enough butt to need two, I guess.

  • Erik8484
    Erik8484 Posts: 458 Member
    scjamieson644 wrote: »
    Can anyone help me out? I avoid lunges at all costs because they kill my knees and I think its probably cause my knee comes over my foot or something like that but I absolutely hate lunges and so many good exercises include them.

    Can you describe the pain?
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Sounds like bad form, are you ensuring your knees don't dip over your toes?

    If you're in a lot of pain you need to try other moves rather than risk injury.

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