Alternative Exercise for Squats: A Fitness Trainer Suggests Four Substitute Moves to Ease Knee strain
Are you looking for a way to strengthen your glutes without putting pressure on your knees? Personal trainer Stacey Roberts, known as Fitness_momness on Instagram, has created a 20-minute home workout that does just that.
The workout, designed for her 952,000 Instagram followers, is focused on strengthening the lower body. It is designed to be done in three sets of 12 reps, with one minute of rest in between each set. The best part? It's a free daily offering from Stacey Roberts.
The glutes play a crucial role in forward propulsion during walking and running, as well as acceleration, jumping, and heavy lifting. Weak gluteal muscles may make it harder to perform essential functional movements such as walking, running, jumping, and lifting. Prioritizing glute-building exercises can lower the chance of developing knee issues, as weak glutes can cause muscular imbalances in the knees and further up the legs, potentially leading to knee issues.
Stacey Roberts recommends finishing all three sets of a move before moving onto the next. The workout can be completed with a pair of dumbbells. Here are four effective alternatives to squats for strengthening the glutes without putting pressure on the knees:
- Deadlifts with resistance bands: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, band under your feet, hold the other end, bend at hips with a straight back, then return upright squeezing the glutes.
- Side leg lifts with resistance bands: Keeping tension on the band, lift the leg out to the side while maintaining an upright posture.
- Rear leg lifts with resistance bands: Lift one leg straight back against the band’s resistance, focusing on squeezing the glutes.
- Single-leg glute bridges: Lying on your back, lift one leg while pushing through the heel of the other foot to bridge the hips upward.
These exercises primarily activate the glute muscles while minimizing knee joint stress and are suitable for knee-friendly glute strengthening routines. Resistance bands can add controlled tension to increase effectiveness safely. The use of low-impact, standing exercises and careful technique can further reduce knee strain during glute workouts.
Having stronger glutes improves hip extension and other pelvic, hip, and core movements. Strong glutes are indicators of overall health and fitness. If you're interested in more achievable workout ideas, health tips, and wellbeing advice, be sure to sign up for the Fit&Well Newsletter. Stacey Roberts also has a Fitness Momness app for on-demand exercise classes.
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/glute-exercises-without-knee-pain [2] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/glute-exercise-benefits [3] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/glute-exercise-benefits#body-weight-exercises [4] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/glute-exercises-without-knee-pain#low-impact-exercises
- Incorporating home workouts that focus on fitness-and-exercise routines, such as Stacey Roberts' 20-minute glute-strengthening workout, can be a science-backed approach to improving health-and-wellness by targeting the glutes, reducing the risk of knee issues, and enhancing overall fitness.
- For those seeking low-impact alternatives to squats that still effectively strengthen the glutes without causing knee pain, consider incorporating exercises like deadlifts with resistance bands, side leg lifts with resistance bands, rear leg lifts with resistance bands, and single-leg glute bridges into your fitness-and-exercise routine.
- By prioritizing glute-building exercises in their fitness-and-exercise routine, individuals can not only strengthen their lower body but also benefit from a host of health-and-wellness advantages, including improved pelvic, hip, and core movements, and improved overall health and fitness.
