YOUR KNEES COLLAPSE IN

THE PROBLEM

Once you’ve lowered into position, your knees cave in so they align closer to your big toes than the middle of your feet. It’s a condition called valgus and can be both the cause and an effect of knee pain – it’s sometimes linked to ligament sprains or tears.

THE CAUSE

Some experts blame tight hips – from too much sitting, running without stretching or both. But recent research suggests that stiff ankles may also be responsible. Limited ankle dorsiflexion (a fancy term for how well you can point your foot up) causes your feet to turn in as you squat, which rotates your legs, knees included, inward.

THE FIX

Reduce sitting hours and spend three minutes stretching your hips with lunges when you wake up, after a workout and before bed. Strengthening hamstrings and glutes will also help lessen stress on your hips – try three sets of 20 glute bridges four days a week. To improve ankle mobility, trace lower-case Ts for a minute daily.