Being a trainer, I often hear from newbie body builders that squats hurt their knee, lower back, or hips, and sometimes all of them together. On contrary to popular beliefs, squat is not the reason why these people experience pain, the pain is caused by regular activities especially from sitting for long hours. Sitting all day may cause a tight back, weaker core or glutes.
Reasons why squats may cause pain
The gluteal muscle is the main extensor of the hip, and it is the reason why it plays a major role in squat exercises. If the glute are not strong enough to support the up and down movement, the other muscles are forced to do more work than what they are supposed to do.
Another reason why people experience pain or hard time when doing squat is because they have weak core. The core is relatively important to maintain a proper squat position as you need to keep your spine in neutral position all throughout the lift. Having a weak core will make it harder for lifters to keep the torso in upright position, and this cause them to lean forward making the spine lose its natural arch.
Most of us spend so much time in a sitting position due to our work or daily activities, and this causes our hips and upper back (thoracic spine) to lose its natural mobility. Tighter hips and spine are very noticeable as it can causes a bad habit of leaning excessively forward making it harder for lifters to perform and complete their squats. When the spine was forced out of its natural position, it is the time when you will experience lower back pains.
Now that you know why you are having a hard time doing those squats, it’s time to fix it.Maintain a proper form 
People are built differently and it’s the reason why it is hard to give suggestion on how you should keep your form, but the most ideal thing to fix it is by watching videos and try out what feels natural to your body. Continue doing your squats starting with a light load and increase it only to the point where you can still maintain your form.
Strengthen your core and glutes
There are several exercises that can help you strengthen your core and glutes. I normally shift my daily exercises like for example; I’ll do a full core training this day and perform glute training on the other day. There are times when I do both at the same day depending on how I feel. One of my favorite glute training is the glute bridge where I need to lie on my back while my knees are bent and keep my spine in neutral position, then I’ll have to lift my hips in the air. You can add weights to your hips if you wanted more resistance. For core exercises I normally do the crunch, vertical leg crunch, v-ups, side plank, etc.
Don’t quit your squats 
People normally stop after experiencing body pains or soreness in muscle, but it is actually a good sign. The soreness in muscle is called DOMS and it is the process where the muscles adapt to the new activity making the muscles stronger. Just remember the quote “no pain no gain”.
