Lifting advice nearly always talks about the back, and the knees get forgotten, but if you bend down to lift heavy loads all day your knees take a share of every one. The good news is the same lift can be done in ways that ask a lot of the knees or very little. A few tweaks to how deep you go and where your feet are can keep them comfortable.

Squatting without going too deep

Dropping into a deep squat to reach a low load loads the front of the knee heavily, especially with weight in your hands. You do not need to go that deep. Bending only as far as you need to reach the load, sharing the movement between your hips and knees, keeps the joint in an easier range. Letting your hips push back, as if reaching your bottom backwards, means your knees are not doing all the bending. It is a smaller, kinder movement than a full deep squat.

Sharing the lift between hips and knees

If you rely on your knees alone to power up out of a lift, they take the full brunt every time. Driving up through your hips and thighs together, rather than just straightening the knees, spreads the effort across the bigger muscles. Keeping your feet flat and pushing the floor away through your heels as you rise helps the load travel through the strong parts of your legs. The knee is then one part of a team, not the weak link doing everything.

Keeping your feet set right

Where your feet are makes a big difference to the knees. A stable stance, feet about hip to shoulder width apart and firmly planted, gives you a solid base and stops the knee wobbling or twisting under load. Pointing your feet in the direction you are lifting, and turning by stepping round rather than pivoting on a planted knee, protects the joint from awkward twisting. Good footing means the knee is loaded straight, which is exactly how it copes best.

Saving your knees where you can

Every lift you can raise off the floor is a lift your knees do not have to bend deep for. Using a trolley, resting loads on a raised surface, or storing heavy items at waist height rather than on the ground all cut down deep bends through the day. Splitting a heavy load into lighter trips means less strain each time. These small choices add up to far fewer hard bends by the end of a shift.

Easing sore knees after handling loads

If your knees ache after a day of lifting, gentle movement usually helps them settle more than sitting still. A short walk, some easy knee bends, or a little warmth often takes the edge off. Keeping moving through the evening, rather than seizing up, tends to help too. What works varies from person to person, so it is worth seeing what settles yours.

If you would like to try a guided lower-body stretch, VIDA has a short video you can follow at your own pace.

Quick checklist

• Bend only as far as you need, sharing the movement between hips and knees.
• Let your hips push back rather than dropping into a deep squat.
• Drive up through your hips and thighs, pushing the floor away through your heels.
• Keep a stable, hip to shoulder width stance and turn by stepping round.
• Raise loads off the floor with trolleys or surfaces to cut down deep bends.

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