Q: I’ve got some pain in my knee joints. When I went to my doctor, he told me that it was because I was doing squats and that I need to stop doing them. Do squats really wreck your knees, or have I just been doing them wrong?

A: Squatting can, indeed, be damaging to your knees – but only if you aren’t performing them correctly. Whether your problems are due to squatting is impossible to tell without seeing your squatting technique. What we can do is to provide some advice on proper squatting technique to avoid any further knee complications.

Firstly, make sure you are wearing a decent pair of shoes when you go under the squat rack. Old, worn out tennis shoes may have a tendency to allow your feet to pronate, or tend inwards. This, in turn, will force your knees in, leading to ligament strain. Avoid this potential knee damage by investing in a pair of shoes that were especially designed to carry the heavy loads you’ll put on them when squatting. You’ll also want shoes that provide good arch and heel support.

For people with pre-existing knee problems it’s a good idea to use knee wraps when squatting. Only use them, though, when squatting with more than 80% of your one rep max. The effort of putting them on will be rewarded with safer joints as well as a 5-10% increase in strength.

Always warm up thoroughly before squats. This should include non-weighted knee flexion stretches as well as a set of very light weight squats as a first set. When squatting, always ensure that your feet are pointing slightly outwards – never straight ahead. And don’t use a heel block. It will only cause you to lean over slightly, and in the process round your back, placing more pressure on the knees and lower back.

When executing the squat, make sure that your knees follow the angle of your feet during both the decline and ascent. Never allow your knees to cave inwards. Make sure that you back doesn’t round during the movement, keep your eyes up and push from your heels on the upward thrust. Apply these squat pointers and you can be confident that this king of exercises will not be contributing to your knee woes.