I was told to stop squatting because of bad knees—here’s how I still get an effective leg workout

Three women in a gym exercising with dumbbells.

Knee pain has been the bane of my life for the past decade, pretty much since I qualified as a personal trainer and fitness instructor.

Teaching three fitness classes a day, six days a week—on top of demonstrating exercises to clients—meant I was working my knees a lot. A year into my fitness career, my knees were constantly hurting.