Why Your Groin Hurts When You Squat And How To Avoid It

“Every time I squat I get this pain right here. Is that normal?”

In my practice I get to deal with all kinds of people with various goals. From professional athletes, grandparents, collegiate athletes, desk-jockeys, weekend warriors, etc. I am happy that regardless of population, most people understand the importance of incorporating squats into their regimen. However, another commonality across these very different groups of people is they may approach hip pain while squatting incorrectly. Whether it be stopping squats all together because of their pain or, even worse, just continuing to squat through the pain.

The goal of this article is to help you understand the potential causes of this pain during a squat, give some troubleshooting tips, and determine when it could be time to see a healthcare professional.

Back Position

The “incorrect” position labeled above may make you feel stronger and steadier however, it relies on taking the low back to it’s end range. This end range alone isn’t terrible but with added weight brings added risk of injury.

You also don’t want to exaggerate the arch in your low back as that limits the amount of range the hip has to move. Essentially, you are bringing the pelvic bone closer to the hip bone at the beginning of the movement which means there isn’t much more room for increased motion from there. This will limit your range of motion into a squat and subsequently, it can lead to groin pain.

In this particular case, groin pain can be as a result of the absolute end range of your bony anatomy or it can be hip musculature tightening/spasming to avoid you going there; your body’s way of protecting itself from going into a compromised position.

This is not something to squat through. First step: keep a “neutral” spine. How do we do that? When standing (start position) think of your pelvis as a bucket that you want directly under your shoulders. That’s a tough concept in black and white text but when you are standing you can feel it. Put your hands on your hips/pelvis and feel what happens to your pelvis if you over-arch your back (as in the picture above) or when you round-out your back (think: slumped posture). The ideal position is in the middle of the two extremes in which the pelvis feels directly under the shoulders. The picture below does a nice job of reflecting this concept in a simple way.

With this starting position, brace the core (to keep the pelvis there), and then lower your torso into a squat. It can help to sit to a bench first to get a better feel for the movement.

Foot Placement

Another factor for groin pain during a squat could be your foot position. People have variations in their exact anatomy and bone shape. If your workout partner squats with their feet straight, that might not mean yours have to be as well.

If your feet are turned in too much (clockwise for your left foot and counter-clockwise for your right foot), then you may also get to the end range of your anatomy during your squat and you can have pain in the groin/front of the hip.

I find a quick, down-and-dirty way to determine good foot position is to have the individual jump. Typically the way you jump and land will be your ideal position. Think about it: if you have to forcefully get your legs to generate enough power to get you airborne, how do your feet naturally plant? This is likely the way you should squat and your most efficient form.

A common follow-up question I may get is, “Shouldn’t I squat with my feet straight until I get better at it?” Well, simply, no. It can be beneficial to change your foot position but that is dependent on a number of variables. For this article and to keep it broad, you wont go wrong using this “jump trick” outlined above.

One caveat is you don’t want to go too wide where you don’t feel like you can squeeze your gluteal muscles to help with your squat. Again, not likely to be the position of choice when you jump either. Gluteal activation brings me right into the next troubleshooting point.

Not “Activating” The Gluteal Muscles

This is the tougher of the three cues but can certainly go a long way to helping your squat and reducing groin pain. An extreme manifestation of “under-active” gluteals during a squat would result in the knees caving in toward each other as seen below on the right.

Now you might be thinking: I don’t do that. Again, this is the extreme manifestation of weakness at the hips. You however may have some subtle version of this and when trying to squat with a heavy enough weight, this can accentuate any weakness or deviations and exacerbate your problem.

One cue to help this is to tell people to slightly push their knees out during the squat. Another way to facilitate this is to squat with a band around your knees as seen with the individual below seen at RISE Rehabilitation and Fitness.

Seen in the video above, this particular case you can see how we use a band to promote proper form and avoid the knees from collapsing inward. If you find that you have pain from squatting, try squatting in front of a mirror and apply a band if you notice your knees naturally want to deviate inwards.

When to see a healthcare professional

One key thing to note is if your pain level stops you from working out at all, and especially if it prevents you from doing your normal day-to-day activity (such as sleeping, walking, stairs, sitting, standing, etc.) then it would be best to seek out a physical therapist as soon as possible. Often, people who come to see me wonder if they need to get a scan done of any kind. For a variety of reasons, rarely does an individual need any x-rays or MRIs to help us determine what is preventing you from squatting and moving properly. In fact, a physical therapist can help you move better, more efficiently, give you strategies and exercises for healing, and can help eliminate pain prior to spending money on getting extensive imaging done.

If you try the above recommendations and don’t see a change in your symptoms then it would be best to be evaluated by a physical therapist. At Rise Rehabilitation and Fitness, you will be examined by a board-certified doctor of physical and orthopedic specialist. We can work together to determine the cause of your pain and treat it to prevent any long-term issues.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @RiseRehabFit and on Facebook. For those in Northern New Jersey, Bergen County area, visit our website at RiseRehabFit.com to come in for a tour and consultation.

The above is not a substitute for medical advice and does not take place for seeking a healthcare provider.