Make squats easier on your knees

Exercise scientists say the squat is one of the most beneficial exercises you can do as you age.

From grabbing dish soap from under the sink, crouching to hug your children and even sitting down, “We probably do hundreds of squats a day,” said Christopher M. Powers, a professor of physical therapy at the University of Southern California.

But what if you suffer from chronic knee pain and the thought of squatting makes you wince? Can you still do the exercise safely?

Yes. Most people can effectively squat while navigating all sorts of issues, said Jarlo Ilano, a physical therapist in Seattle. The key is to find ways to adjust your form that take stress off the knees, then to gradually get stronger and rely on those adjustments less.

Finding the right adjustments may take some trial and error. Try one adjustment at a time first, then see if some combination provides more relief.

Here are four form adjustments that experts recommend for comfier body-weight squats.

In a typical squat, with the top half of your body in an upright position, your knees and quads take the brunt of your body weight. But in this version, you lean your torso and arms forward and sit your butt back, which lessens the strain on the knees.

One caveat: This is not recommended for people who have lower back pain, Powers said.

The lower you sit into a squat, the more stress you put on the knees, Powers said. So to reduce strain, don’t squat as low.

To find the right depth for you, stand in front of a mirror and squat until your knees start to hurt. Take note of where that is, then practice squatting only to the level right before your knees get cranky, Ilano said.

It could be helpful to have an object to sit toward, like a chair, to give you an idea of how low you’re going, said Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon in New York and author of “Longevity … Simplified.”

Turning the toes outward by about 30 degrees can prevent the knees from buckling toward each other and will minimize unwanted pressure on the inner side of the joints.

However, if you have arthritis, an outward toe rotation can be particularly uncomfortable. Talk to your physical therapist or surgeon for advice.

Physical therapists often recommend strengthening the butt muscles to help support the knees in the squat. One way to do this is to widen your stance.

Put your feet shoulder width (or more) apart, which will activate your gluteal muscles more. Avoid stepping out more than 1½ times your shoulder width, though, which can cause your knees to collapse in and trigger more joint pain.

As your quads, hips and knees get stronger through repetition, you might find over time that you can squat deeper and with less knee pain. Check in with yourself every month to see how far you’ve come.

Once you start to feel confident with these adjustments, you can try other ways of squatting that previously may have irritated your knees. However, be patient and don’t force any range of motion that feels too painful, Ilano said.