If squats don’t feel great on your knees, the underlying issue is often weak or underactive glute muscles — usually the result of prolonged sitting and not enough targeted strength work.
When the hips aren’t providing enough support, the knees are forced to absorb loads they were never designed to handle. Over time, this can lead to discomfort through the knees, hips, lower back, and even the foot and ankle complex.
The good news? Strengthening the right muscles can dramatically improve how your lower body functions.
These two movements are simple, effective, and designed to restore proper hip support so your knees can move the way they’re meant to.
🔹 Exercise 1: Straight Leg Raises — 25 reps each side
Keep the working leg straight and in line with your torso throughout the movement. This position isolates the outer glute muscles, which are critical for stabilizing the pelvis and controlling knee alignment.
When these muscles weaken — often from excessive sitting — the body tends to rely more heavily on the IT band for stability. This compensation pattern is a common contributor to knee, hip, and lower back discomfort.
Focus on slow, controlled repetitions rather than speed.
🔹 Exercise 2: Hip Raise into Clam — 2 rounds of 25 reps
This is a powerful combination movement.
The hip raise helps reverse the effects of prolonged sitting by activating the posterior chain — particularly the glutes — which often become lengthened and weak when we spend too much time in chairs.
Adding the clam integrates inner-thigh activation, an often undertrained muscle group that plays a major role in stabilizing the knee during walking and everyday movement.
Together, these movements create balanced muscular support around the hip and knee.
⚠️ Important Training Notes
Always work within a pain-free range of motion
Focus on control rather than momentum
Use support for balance if needed
Prioritize muscle activation over repetition speed
Strong hips support healthy knees — and healthy knees support lifelong movement.
Small, consistent strength work now can prevent much larger problems later.
Train smart.
— Cyn