Why do my inner thighs hurt after doing squats?

Q: Why do my inner thighs hurt after doing squats?

Inner thigh pain after squats is most commonly caused by **delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)**, which occurs when the adductor muscles experience small tears from exercise. This soreness typically appears 24–48 hours after your workout and resolves on its own within a few days. Other common causes include: - **Improper squat form** (knees caving inward, stance too wide) - **Overactivation of the adductors** compensating for weak glutes - **Muscle strain** from lifting too heavy or skipping a warm-up - **Groin injury** if pain is sharp, sudden, or persistent Mild soreness is normal and often a sign your muscles are adapting. However, sharp, lingering, or one-sided pain could point to a strain or underlying issue that shouldn't be ignored. Because inner thigh pain can range from routine soreness to a more serious injury, it's worth ruling out the causes that need attention. Take a free, instant, online symptom check to better understand what's driving your discomfort and get clear guidance on your next steps — no appointment or sign-up required. Reviewed for medical accuracy: 07/15/2026

Reviewed by Yoshinori Abe, MD

Internal Medicine

Inner thigh pain after squats is most commonly caused by delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which occurs when the adductor muscles experience small tears from exercise. This soreness typically appears 24–48 hours after your workout and resolves on its own within a few days.

Other common causes include:

Improper squat form (knees caving inward, stance too wide)
Overactivation of the adductors compensating for weak glutes
Muscle strain from lifting too heavy or skipping a warm-up
Groin injury if pain is sharp, sudden, or persistent

Mild soreness is normal and often a sign your muscles are adapting. However, sharp, lingering, or one-sided pain could point to a strain or underlying issue that shouldn't be ignored.

Because inner thigh pain can range from routine soreness to a more serious injury, it's worth ruling out the causes that need attention. Take a free, instant, online symptom check to better understand what's driving your discomfort and get clear guidance on your next steps — no appointment or sign-up required.

Reviewed for medical accuracy: 07/15/2026

Quick answers

Frequently Asked Questions

4 answers

The most common questions people search after this page

Concerned about your symptoms?

Start a symptom check

Explanation

After doing squats, you might feel pain in your inner thighs. This is often due to something called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS. DOMS happens when your muscles are not used to the exercise, and tiny tears occur in the muscle fibers, causing soreness. This is a normal part of getting stronger and usually goes away in a few days.

Why It Happens:

Muscle Activation: When you squat, your muscles, including those in your thighs, work hard to help you move. Sometimes, if the muscles aren't used to this work, they can get sore. Activation training, like doing specific exercises to get your muscles ready, can help with this.
Squat Depth: How deep you squat can also affect which muscles are used and how much they are used. Different squat depths can change how your muscles feel after exercising.

To help with the soreness, you can try gentle stretching, rest, and making sure you warm up before exercising. However, if your pain persists beyond a few days or feels more severe than typical muscle soreness, you can check your symptoms to better understand what might be causing your discomfort. Over time, as your muscles get used to squats, the soreness should decrease.

(References)

Cheung K, Hume P, & Maxwell L. (2003). Delayed onset muscle soreness : treatment strategies and .... Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 12617692.
Cannon J, Weithman BA, & Powers CM. (2022). Activation training facilitates gluteus maximus recruitment .... Journal of electromyography and kinesiology : official journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology, 35189569.
Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, & Yata H. (2019). Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb .... European journal of applied physiology, 31230110.

Tell your friends about us.

We would love to help them too.

For First Time Users

What is Ubie’s Doctor’s Note?

We provide a database of explanations from real doctors on a range of medical topics. Get started by exploring our library of questions and topics you want to learn more about.

Was this page helpful?

Purpose and positioning of servicesUbie Doctor's Note is a service for informational purposes. The provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical treatment. If medical treatment is required, please consult your doctor or medical institution. We strive to provide reliable and accurate information, but we do not guarantee the completeness of the content. If you find any errors in the information, please contact us.