When it comes to lower body strength and mobility, the phrase "knees over toes" has sparked countless debates in the fitness and physical therapy world. But is it really as dangerous as once thought? Spoiler alert: it’s not. In fact, allowing your knees to travel over your toes during certain movements can significantly enhance performance, mobility, and even injury prevention. Here’s our take on this!
Why Knees Over Toes Matters
1. Functional Movement: In everyday activities like climbing stairs, walking downhill, or squatting to pick something up, your knees naturally travel over your toes. Training in a way that mimics these movements helps to improve real-world functionality.
2. Improved Ankle Mobility: Allowing the knees to travel over the toes challenges ankle dorsiflexion, a key component of efficient and pain-free movement. Better ankle mobility translates to enhanced performance in sports and reduced risk of injuries.
3. Increased Quadriceps Strength: Movements that allow the knees to pass over the toes—like deep squats or lunges—place a greater load on the quadriceps. This focused strengthening can improve athletic performance, particularly in jumping and running.
4. Injury Prevention: Building strength and mobility in the knees through controlled knees-over-toes movements can help protect against common issues such as patellar tendinopathy, ACL injuries, and patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).
Common Myths About Knees Over Toes
Myth: "It’s bad for your knees."
Reality: Research shows that knees-over-toes movements are safe and even beneficial when done with proper form and appropriate progression.
Myth: "It’s not functional."
Reality: Many athletic and daily movements require knees to travel beyond the toes. Avoiding this limits your ability to train in a functional range of motion.
Exercises to Incorporate Knees Over Toes
Split Squats:
Focus on controlled descent, allowing the front knee to move forward over the toes. Keep your back leg supported for balance.
Step-Downs:
Slowly step down from a platform, ensuring the knee of the leading leg travels forward while maintaining control.
Deep Goblet Squats:
Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest and lower into a deep squat, letting your knees travel over your toes as your heels stay grounded.
Heel-Elevated Squats:
Elevate your heels on small plates or a wedge to enhance ankle dorsiflexion and allow a greater range of motion for the knees.
Backward Sled Drags:
Dragging a sled backward encourages a strong knee-over-toe position while strengthening the quadriceps and promoting knee health.
The Bottom Line
Knees-over-toes movements are not inherently harmful; they’re an essential part of functional and athletic training. When done correctly, these movements can improve mobility, build strength, and reduce injury risk. Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend warrior, or just looking to move better in daily life, embracing knees-over-toes exercises could be a game-changer for your lower body health and performance.
If you’re unsure how to safely incorporate these movements into your training, give us a call and we can guide you through personalized progressions.
Fitness-Forward. Evidence-Based. Impact-Driven.
Performance Physical Therapy
Woodstock, GA
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