In a standing position, we should not have our knees locked. Locking your knees means placing them into full extension and tensing up your quadricep muscles, located on the front of your thighs.
The correct knee posture in standing is to have “soft knees.” This means they are neither locked, nor extremely bend, the knees only need a slight bend to them.
When standing with the knees locked, the blood will pool up in the lower extremities, which causes reduced blood supply to the heart, which then causes your cardiac output to decrease the amount of blood going to your brain. Standing with locked knees also means the quads, glutes, and lower back muscles are overworking to keep you upright. The knee caps can even slip out of place. Locked knees will cause aches and pains to other areas of the body.
Do you lock your knees? Try mindful standing. With a “soft knee” posture, you will stand on all four corners of each foot, the feet are parallel at hip distance apart. Your knees have a slight bend. Your quads and glutes will not be contracting. Your spine and head are long, up toward the sky. Your arms will also be dangling. Do you notice more ease and fluidity in your body? Try to always be mindful of where your knees are in a standing position!