We rely heavily on our knees in day-to-day activities, but often our exercise choices abuse them. If you have sore or injured knees, you can still work out – I promise! The important thing is to be aware of what can impact your knees while working out and avoid these activities.

One movement that can have an impact on the health of your knees is how you stand when you lift weights. If you lock out your knees while lifting weights, you are increasing the risk of injuring your knees. By locking out your knee (or hyperextending your knee), you are placing too much pressure on your knee joint. When you place that stress on your joint, you are no longer using your supporting muscles. All of the pressure is now placed on the knee joint, which can lead to overuse and injury. Remember to keep a slight bend in your knees when lifting weights to help take the stress off of your joints.

Knee injuries are one of the most common ailments my clients battle, so the more we can do to keep our knees healthy, the better. If you feel a twinge or discomfort in your knee while working out, stop what you are doing. That is your body telling you something isn’t right. One workout is never worth an injury.

If you are trying to be kind to your knees but still want to work out, give this knee-friendly, As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) workout a try. Or check out some of my other knee-friendly workouts listed below.