Squats – Common Errors and How to Fix Them
June 5, 2020|Achilles tendinopathy, Back Pain, Calf Pain, Hip Pain, Knee Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, foot pain, Running Injuries
· Squats are a key part of rehab for just about any back, hip, knee, ankle or foot injury. People of all ages and activity levels need to be able to squat in some capacity.
· The squat works the major muscle groups in the legs – the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. It will also engage important core muscles that stabilize the trunk and foot.
· The squat is similar to many things we have to be able to do to get through our day – like getting up from a chair, getting in and out of the car, lifting up a full laundry basket, etc.
· For athletes, being able to squat is an important precursor to being able to single leg squat, jump/hop, properly dissipate forces with the leg muscles, and run.
· In older populations, your ability to efficiently get in and out of a chair is related to your balance and fall risk.
· Variations in anatomy at the hip, ankle, your body proportions, etc. may dictate what your squat looks like, including how deep you squat and how far apart your feet are. It is important to listen to your body. There is no one ‘perfect squat’ although there are some common errors that you will want to avoid.
· Before we look at some common squatting mistakes, take a look at the two pictures below showing a squat from the front and side view to get an idea of what you should be looking for.
Common Error #1: Knees In
Error: Knees In
· The thighs rotate inward and move toward each other
· The knees go inward (tracking inside of the big toes)
· The arches of the feet collapse
· Poor engagement of the core and gluteal muscles
Correct: Knees Don’t Go In
· Core and gluteal engagement and a stable base of support through the feet (with no arch collapse) keep the thighs from rotating or moving inward
· The knees track over or outside of the big toes instead of moving inward
Corrective Exercises
Inner Thigh Squeeze
· Perform squat slowly while squeezing a core ball or yoga block between your inner thighs to improve core activation and increase stability at the hips and feet
Band Around Knees
· Place band around your knees and perform squat slowly to improve gluteal activation and keep knees tracking outside of big toes
Common Error #2: Leaning onto Toes, Knees Forward
Error: Leaning onto Toes, Knees Forward
· Weight shifts forward onto the balls of the feet, the heels may lift up
· Knees move forward significantly past toes
· Increased pressure through the front of the thigh (quads) and front of the knee
Correct: Feet Flat, Hips back
· Weight remains evenly distributed between the heel and ball of the foot, with your ‘center of mass’ through your mid-foot
· Hips go back without the low back rounding
· Knees do not go significantly past toes
· Both the front (quad) and back (glutes and hamstrings) are working which may decrease pressure through the front of the knee
Corrective Exercise
Sit-to-Stand from Bench or Chair
· Use the bench or chair as a target to help stick your hips/butt back further while you squat
· Perform slowly and focus on squeezing your glutes, maintaining weight in your mid-foot, not letting knees go forward
· Stay in control during the entire motion (no plopping when you sit down or using momentum when you stand up!)
Common Error #3: Leaning to One Side
Error: Leaning to One Side
· This lean will often start when you are towards the deeper end of the squat
· As you squat, your trunk may bend and/or rotate towards one side shifting your center of mass towards one leg. On the side you shift towards, the ankle and hip will bend into greater range of motion and the leg will take more of the forces.
· It is important to understand why you are leaning to know how to correct it. You may be leaning away from a stiff or tight ankle, a tight hip, or general weakness. You may also have poor pelvic/trunk control or have developed this habit from an old injury. People will often have stiffness in their ankle after an ankle sprain that doesn’t get resolved and contributes to asymmetry in their squat.
Correct: Equal Weight Distribution Side-to-Side
· Equal loads are going through the right and left legs
· Equal degrees of bending are occurring at the ankles, knees and hips
· The center of mass is at midline, the trunk is not leaning or rotating
Corrective Exercises
Squat in Front of a Mirror
- Use a full-length mirror and perform your squat slowly. Try to locate the moment you start leaning to one side. See if you can correct your position and then squat further without leaning. If you can’t squat further without leaning, you may need to squat in a smaller range while you work on the things that may be contributing to the issue (ankle mobility, hip mobility or strength).
Squatting with a Heel Lift
· If one ankle is tight, place small lift under heels to improve your squat depth
· You should also start working on your ankle flexibility with calf stretching and ankle mobility drills
Calf Stretching
· Perform with back knee extended and with back knee flexed, hold for 30 seconds and complete 3 rounds on each side
· Do not let the arch collapse or the heel lift up, make sure your trunk is ‘square’
Ankle Mobilization
· Get in crouched position and slowly lean into the leg to push the knee forward and stretch the ankle, keep the heel flat on the ground, do not let the arch collapse
Hip Stretching
· Rock back – get into the all fours position and slowly rock your hips back without rounding your low back, until a stretch is felt in the glutes or deep into the hip. If you feel pinching in the front of the hip, decrease the range of the stretch.
· Runner’s Lunge with Rotation – get into a runner’s lunge position, and rotate the trunk to the side up the forward leg to feel deep stretch in the hip capsule and glutes. Hold for 30 seconds and complete 3 rounds on each side
Strengthening the Weaker Side
If one leg is weaker, you will benefit from isolating the weaker leg with some single leg exercises so that the strong leg can’t ‘take over’ and do all the work.
Some ideas include:
· Lunge
· Single Leg Squat
Squatting without Shoes
· You can learn a lot from squatting without shoes
· Perform slowly and pay attention to these questions:
-Where does the weight shift – heel, ball of foot, mid-foot, outside of foot, or inside of foot?
-Is your arch collapsing?
-Is your foot rolling to the outside and your big toe lifting up?
-Are your toes curling?
· Your feet are your base of support – if you are stable and strong through your feet, you will have a better squat. Here are some cues to consider and focus on throughout the entire squat.
-Keep even distribution of weight between front and back of the foot – centered in the mid-foot!
-Keep your toes ‘spreading’
-Your foot should be a tripod (comprised of your heel, the ball of your foot directly beneath your big toe, and the spot directly beneath your pinky toe) with each point in contact with the ground at all times
If you are having pain or difficulty while squatting, physical therapy can help identify the root cause of the problem and provide you with guidance and exercises to address the issue. Please contact us at 312-643-1555 or email us at [email protected] if you have questions or would like to schedule an evaluation. Follow us on Instagram or Like us on Facebook for weekly exercise videos and tips.
