Why can't I walk properly after squats?

Author: Erick Hayes  |  Last update: Monday, January 5, 2026

Difficulty walking after leg day is often a result of microscopic muscle damage caused by intense exercise. Eccentric contractions, common in leg workouts, can lead to tiny tears in muscle fibers. The body's natural response includes inflammation, resulting in swelling and leg soreness.

Why is it hard to walk after squats?

If you're experiencing difficulty walking after doing squats, it could be due to muscle soreness or fatigue, especially if you pushed yourself hard or are new to the exercise. Here are some steps you can take to alleviate the discomfort:

Is it normal to barely be able to walk after a workout?

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness happens after big increases in exercise difficulty, and after workouts that emphasize eccentric muscle contractions. It is considered normal to experience DOMS for 24-72 hours after novel or eccentric-heavy exercise. You should still be able to complete normal daily activities while sore.

Why is it hard to stand up after squatting?

If you feel off balance when you finally do get off the floor, it's likely due to weak abdominal muscles, the core muscles that help stabilize your body. Weak muscles. If your legs feel weak and you wobble as you come to a stand, it may indicate a lack of overall strength.

Why can't I stand up straight after squats?

A possibility- There is a phenomena where the erector muscles come offline if the lower back goes into flexion. The longer you squat the better the odds your lumbar is flexing a bit, coming back up it will take extra attention to straighten it out prior to standing back up.

Sore After Leg Day? 5 Critical Tips to Walk Normal Again

Why are my legs so weak when squatting?

A weak squat can be caused by muscular imbalances, mobility challenges, poor nutrition and recovery, overtraining, and incorrect form. If you're asking 'why is my squat so weak', it's likely a cause of one of these problems, but each one has a solution that can help improve your weak squatting.

Why do I feel faint when I stand up after squatting?

Rising erect from squatting is a considerable hemodynamic, i.e. orthostatic stress [2]. On average blood pressure in healthy young adults falls by 60 mmHg systolic and 40 mmHg diastolic with a nadir about 7 s after rising (Fig. 3) [3][4]. Mild symptoms of transient lightheadedness are often present.

Why is it suddenly hard to stand up?

Generalized weakness and difficulty standing can be related to a wide variety of medical conditions. Examples can include organ failure, severe infections, and chronic illnesses. These symptoms can also occur following trauma or injury. The sudden onset of weakness can be a sign of a stroke.

Why is it hard for old people to get up off the floor?

Even if a bone isn't broken, sometimes older adults have trouble getting up from a fall without assistance. This is partly because people don't learn this skill and partly because people become more stiff and less agile as they get older.

Did squats now I can't walk?

Your body will gradually get used to things and you'll be able to walk normally after a heavy squat sesh. It is, however, important to keep pushing through your training routine. Getting some blood pumping through your muscles will do wonders, and you definitely don't want to miss a training session because of DOMS.

How long does it take for legs to recover after squats?

Alleviating Thigh Soreness Post-Squats

To alleviate soreness post-squats, various strategies can be employed. Rest is crucial, as it allows the muscles to heal naturally. Aim to rest sore muscles for 24 to 48 hours. It can also be beneficial to apply ice initially to reduce inflammation and pain.

What are the symptoms of being unfit?

Other symptoms you may experience when feeling out of shape include fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, or poor posture.
  • Low Cardiovascular Endurance. ...
  • Decreased Strength & Flexibility. ...
  • Increased Disease Risk. ...
  • The Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test. ...
  • Frailty. ...
  • Other Barriers to Exercise.

Why can't I walk properly after workout?

Are you struggling to walk after your workout this week? Well, there's a good chance you're experiencing a case of DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Why am I so sore I can barely walk?

Many people experience acute muscle stiffness because of: Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), muscle pain and temporary inflammation that develops after an intense workout. Insect bites or stings.

Do squats improve walking?

Doing squats can not only help you perform athletically, but it also strengthens your body for everyday tasks like walking, carrying heavy items, and climbing stairs. The benefits range from helping to prevent injury to improving your performance during other exercises.

Why are squats the hardest exercise?

Not only does it use around 200 muscles to perform a squat (that's around a third of all the muscles in your body), it also requires triple extension: that means you're bending through three joints – your hips, knees and ankles – at once.

Why am I unable to get up from a squatting position?

2. You Might Need to Work on Mobility and Flexibility. If you can't assume the position you need to get into in order to stand up from the floor, you likely have several joints that need mobility work. It's also possible that you have stability limitations.

How can you tell when an elderly person is declining?

Signs of decline in overall health include weight loss, changes in appetite, problems swallowing, fatigue, burns, black and blue marks (possible signs of falling), hearing loss (look for signs of lip reading and talking loudly), withdrawn without reason, complaints of muscle weakness, insomnia, excessive sleeping or ...

Why can't I walk properly anymore?

Problems with the joints, (such as arthritis), bones (such as deformities), circulation (such as peripheral vascular disease), or even pain can make it difficult to walk properly. Diseases or injuries to the nerves, muscles, brain, spinal cord, or inner ear can affect normal walking.

Why is it hard to squat as you get older?

Older individuals have reduced joint mobility (Medeiros et al., 2013) and muscle strength (Delbaere et al., 2003) in their lower limbs. Therefore, older individuals might have more difficulty with deeper-squat movements.

Why am I losing strength in my legs?

Weakness in the legs can happen for a variety of reasons. These can include DOMS, spinal problems, neuropathy, ALS, stroke, myasthenia gravis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Weakness in the legs may affect one leg or both. Sometimes, leg weakness can signal an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.

Why do I feel weak and shaky after walking?

Some common causes of post-exercise shakiness include lactic acid build-up as your muscles fatigue, low blood sugar, dehydration, and occasionally too much caffeine, explains Dan Murauski, DO, director of wellness optimization and longevity at Case Integrative Health.

Why do I feel off balance when squatting?

The issue during squats, if you have overly tight hamstrings, is that you will be unable to keep your heels on the floor during the full range of movement. Your heels will lift off the ground, causing you to perform the lower part of the squat on just the front of your foot. Less surface area equals less stability.

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