Adequate flexibility and strength of the hip, knee and calf improve your ability to properly perform knee exercises. Maintaining the correct knee to toe postural alignment decreases your risk of injury. The use of mirrors during exercise may help increase your awareness of knee to toe position.
Anatomy
Your knee is a hinge joint, allowing the motion of flexion -- bending -- and extension -- straightening. It is a relatively unstable joint: the femur sits on top of the tibia creating the knee joint, with the patella -- kneecap -- sitting on the front in a groove created by the femur bone. Four main ligaments and surrounding muscles create the stability for your knee.
Patella Alignment
As you bend your knee into a squat or lunge position, maintain proper patella alignment by keeping your knee over your toes. It is a common mistake for the knee to "fall" to the inside toward your big toe, creating strain and increasing your risk of injury. This incorrect motion increases the risk of pulling the kneecap to the outside for a lateral tracking-type injury, as well as stretching the inside ligament and increasing the joint pressure on the outside.
Foot-Knee Position
It is commonly believed your knee should not ever move forward over your toes while bending. Although the intention is good, the current recommendation by the American Council On Exercise (ACE) is to avoid this forward motion, knowing some forward movement may occur. Attempt to keep your knee aligned with the second toe, but more importantly, do not lean too far forward.
Hips
To increase proper bio-mechanics, ACE also recommends shifting your hips posterior, or backward, prior to beginning your exercise movement. This will allow you to avoid early forward motion of the knee.
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