Meniscus injuries are one of the most common exercise-related injuries in both younger and older individuals. In case you don't know, the meniscus is akin to a shock absorber for the knees — and one that is vulnerable to injury, according to Michael C. Schwartz, an orthopedic surgeon, tells TODAY. To minimize the risk of this kind of injury, Schwartz advises to avoid doing deep squatting exercises in which the hips go below the knees. The most common form of exercise that Schwartz sees as a culprit for knee injuries? HIIT, or high intensity interval training. That doesn't mean you have to give up on squats in general — or HIIT in particular. You just have to be careful when you're doing squats. Take these crucial squat tips from Schwartz: - Do not let the knee reach forward over the toes in a lunge or in a squat. Look in a mirror to make sure that your knees don't go past 90 degrees in a lunge.
- When returning to a standing position from a squat or lunge, press down through the heels to work the backs of the legs instead of pressing down through the toes, which has the potential to put too much pressure on the knee caps.
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