Knee-Friendly Butt and Thigh Toners
by Lemont Platt and Liz Neporent
Q.
I know squats are great for the derriere, but how can you do them when you have bad knees? Is it possible to do squats without hurting your knees? Help!

A.
It's true. The squat is the King of All Derriere Exercises. It's also a great thigh shaper too. And yes, there are various adjustments you can do to make them a more knee-friendly exercise. But before we describe these modifications, a warning: Speak to an orthopedic physician before you begin your quest to work that booty. That way you can be sure that there will be no harm to your achy knees.


Pre-squat Stretch and Strengthen
That said, before we can squat we need to strengthen all the surrounding musculature of the hips, knees, lower back and abdominals. This can be done with both resistance training and aerobic activity. Since your knees are achy, we should start with the exercise bike. Be sure to have the seat height adjusted so that when you stand next to the seat it is at about hip level. Ride before you work your legs to adequately warm up. Flexibility is also very important, so follow this stretch routine.

Stretches

1. Begin by standing up tall with your feet shoulder width apart and reach your arms up high to the sky.

2. Spread those arms out to the side with your hands at shoulder level.

3. Clasp your hands together behind your back and gently lift away from your buttocks.

4. Then grab your right wrist with your left hand and pull down slightly while tilting your left ear toward your left shoulder. Repeat on other side.

5. Find a wall or a chair for balance and hold on with your left arm while you grab your right foot with your right hand. Pull your foot toward your buttocks while keeping your knee pointing straight down to the ground. Repeat on other side.

6. Take a seat on the floor Indian-style with a mat, rug, or large, soft beach towel underneath for comfort. Straighten your left leg out and grab your foot with a large towel (or rope, or large strap from an old purse) under the ball of your foot, pulling your toes in toward your body.

7. Lie down on your back and keep your right (opposite leg) bent at the knee and foot flat on the floor. Using the towel, pull your left leg up toward your chest while keeping it as straight as possible.

8. Now bend your knee and grab behind the left knee with your hands or the towel and pull your knee in toward your chest. Repeat 6, 7 and 8 for the right leg.

8. Lie flat on your back and bend both knees with both feet flat on the floor. Keep your knees together and roll your upper body to one side, then repeat on the other side.

Hold all stretches for 10 to 30 seconds and gradually increase to 45 to 60 seconds. Perform 2 or 3 sets. Do not hold stretches that cause severe pain or cut off the circulation so that your toes or fingers become numb. The pain threshold should be 6 out of 10.

Lower Body Exercises

You should also perform some straight-leg raises, leg extensions, leg curls, calf raises, crunches and back extensions.

I have an alternative to squats until you feel strong enough or pain free enough to move on. It is called a lunge:

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart (either holding dumbbells by your side or with no weight).
Step forward with one leg, using a long stride -- your knee should never go over your toes.
As your front foot lands, lower your body toward the floor, keeping your back straight. Your back leg should be slightly bent, with the knee dropping STRAIGHT down to about one inch from the floor -- NOT forward and down.
Return to the starting position and repeat. Stick with the same leg and then switch, or alternate legs as you go.

Squatting
After you master this movement you can begin to squat. Start with a wall squat first:

Simply place your entire back against the wall with your feet are shoulder width apart.
Gradually slide your body down the wall until your quads are parallel to the ground.
Hold this position for a second or so.
Return to the starting position by sliding up the wall.
Repeat 10 to 15 times.
The goal is to be able to do one rep and hold this position for about 60 to 90 seconds. You can eventually begin to squat without using the wall for support by placing a chair or exercise bench behind you to sit down into. Believe it or not, sitting down into a chair is just like doing a squat. Just remember to lead with your derriere and point it out and down. Bend from the knees and hips, not your waist and lower back.