OrthoInfo: “Knee Exercises.”
Top Exercises for Knee Pain
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body, so it’s not surprising that knee pain is common. The activities of daily life can take a toll on your knees. Walking places stress equal to 261% of the body’s weight on the knees. Going down stairs creates pressure equal to 346% of the body’s weight. No wonder that knee pain triggers up to 40% of physical therapy visits.
Much joint pain is a consequence of aging and osteoarthritis, but persons of all ages can experience knee pain. Weak muscles, tight muscles, or muscle imbalance may cause pain around and under the kneecap, often called anterior knee pain. Inflamed tendons can also cause the knees to hurt.
Exercise is the best treatment for most arthritic knee pain. It can also help other types of knee pain. You should not try to correct your knee pain with exercise if you have experienced a pop in your knee. Other signs that you need to see a doctor include a knee that swells, buckles, or locks up.
Top Exercises for Knee Pain
Low-impact exercises like stretching, swimming, and water aerobics are good for relieving knee pain. Using an exercise bike or elliptical trainer can help, too. In addition, try these therapeutic exercises that you can do at home:
Clamshells
This exercise is simple to do but can pay big dividends. As you get stronger, step up this exercise by using a resistance band just above the knees.
Step 1: Lie on your side with your hips stacked and knees comfortably bent.
Step 2: Keeping your feet together, lift the top knee up, mimicking the movement of a clamshell opening.
Step 3: Hold the position for a few seconds, then slowly lower the knee back down.
Try for 15-20 repetitions on each side.
Straight-Leg Lift
Perform this exercise on the floor, not on a bed or other soft surface.
Step 1: Lie on your back with one leg bent at about a 90-degree angle and the other leg straight.
Step 2: With thigh muscles tight, raise the straight leg about a foot off the ground and hold.
Step 3: After a few seconds, slowly lower the leg back to the ground.
Step 4: Do several repetitions with the same leg before switching to the other side.
Your level of strength will influence how many repetitions you can do. Start with a few and work up gradually.
Sit/Stands
Be sure to use a sturdy chair for this exercise.
Step 1: Sit slightly forward in a chair with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Slowly stand up without using your hands.
Step 3: Reverse the motion and sit down.
Step 4: Repeat as many times as you can.
Try for three sets of this exercise.
Step-Ups
This exercise requires something to step up on. You should start with a step of 6-8 inches. If you don’t have a step platform, you can use a stair step.
Step 1: Stand in front of the platform and put one foot securely on it.
Step 2: Step up on the platform and let the other foot come off the ground and dangle loosely.
Step 3: Lower the hanging foot to the ground and step down.
Step 4: Repeat with the other foot, then alternate sides until you have completed the desired number of repetitions.
When you can do this exercise easily, you can make it tougher by holding small hand weights.
Glute Bridges
The glutes are a group of muscles in the buttocks that affect the movement of the knee. The glute bridge is a great exercise that targets them but also involves other muscles of the leg.
Step 1: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet about shoulder-width apart. Relax your arms with palms up away from your body.
Step 2: Slowly pick your hips off the floor and push them up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
Step 3: Hold the position for a few seconds, and then slowly lower your hips down to the floor.
Good form is important for this exercise. Don’t arch or round your back. Keep your hips, knees, and feet in a line.
Safety Considerations
These knee exercises are simple and safe for most people. Some other exercises, such as squats and lunges, can strengthen the knees but can also injure them if not done correctly.
When doing knee exercises, start with a low number of reps and move up gradually. If you have pain with any movement, stop. If your exercise program makes you so sore that you have trouble moving the next day, you are overdoing it. Gentle stretching after you exercise will help keep muscles flexible.
Show Sources
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: “Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee.”
Houston Methodist: “How to Relieve Knee Pain Through Stretches and Exercises You Can Do at Home.”
Massachusetts General Hospital: “Exercises to Preserve, Strengthen Knees.”
OrthoInfo: “Knee Exercises.”
Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine: “Are Squats and Lunges Safe in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Patellofemoral Pain?”
Precision Physio: “5 Surprising Stats About Knee Pain.”
Silver Sneakers: “The Best and Worst Exercises for Your Knees.”
Versus Arthritis: “Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee.”
10 Exercises to Help Relieve Knee Pain
Knee pain is a common issue. The good news is there are several ways to treat it, including knee stretches and strengthening exercises you can do on your own.
Whether you’re a competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, or a daily walker, dealing with knee pain can put a kink in your favorite activities.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, 18 million people see a doctor for knee pain each year. This includes pain caused by:
In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the most effective exercises you can do to strengthen your knee and reduce knee pain.
If your knee pain is due to an injury, surgery, or arthritis, gentle stretching and strengthening exercises may help ease the pain while also improving your flexibility and range of motion.
Exercising a knee that’s injured or arthritic may seem counterintuitive, but in fact, exercise is better for your knee than keeping it still. Not moving your knee can cause it to stiffen, and this may worsen the pain and make it harder to go about your daily activities.
Gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can strengthen the muscles that support your knee joint. Having stronger muscles can reduce the impact and stress on your knee, and help your knee joint move more easily.
Before you start an exercise program for knee pain, be sure to talk to your doctor or physical therapist to make sure the exercises are safe for you. Depending on your situation, they may recommend some modifications.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, performing lower body stretching exercises may help improve the range of motion and flexibility in your knee joint. This can make it easier to move your knee.
Before you start stretching, it’s important to spend at least 5 to 10 minutes warming up. Low-impact activities like cycling on a stationary bike, walking, or using an elliptical machine are good warmup options.
Once you’re warmed up, do the following three stretches, and then repeat them once you’ve completed the knee strengthening exercises.
Try to do these stretches and exercises at least four to five times a week.
1. Heel and calf stretch
This stretch targets the muscles in your lower leg, specifically your calf muscles.
To do this stretch:
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place your hands on the wall and move one foot back as far as you can comfortably. Toes on both feet should be facing forward, heels flat, with a slight bend in your knees.
- Lean into the stretch and hold for 30 seconds. You should feel the stretch in your back leg.
- Change legs and repeat.
- Do this stretch twice for both legs.
2. Quadriceps stretch
This stretch specifically targets your quadriceps, the muscles at the front of your thighs. Performing this move can help improve the flexibility in your hip flexors and quadricep muscles.
To do this stretch:
- Stand next to a wall or use a chair for support. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
- Bend one knee so your foot goes up toward your glutes.
- Grab your ankle and gently pull it toward your glutes as far as you can comfortably.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Return to the starting position and change legs.
- Repeat 2 times on each side.
3. Hamstring stretch
This stretch targets your hamstrings, the muscles in the back of your thigh.
You should feel this stretch in the back of your leg and up to the base of your glutes. If you flex your foot, you may also feel the stretch in your calves.
To do this stretch:
- For this stretch, you can use a mat to add cushioning under your back.
- Lie down on the floor or mat and straighten both legs. Or, if it’s more comfortable, you can bend both knees with your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift one leg off the floor.
- Place your hands behind your thigh, but below the knee, and gently pull your knee toward your chest until you feel a slight stretch. This shouldn’t be painful.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Lower and change legs.
- Repeat 2 times on each side.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, you can help reduce the stress on your knee joint by regularly working the muscles around your knee.
To help strengthen your knees, focus on moves that work your hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and hip muscles.
4. Half squat
Half squats are an excellent way to strengthen your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings without straining your knees.
To do this exercise:
- Get into a standing squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips or out in front of you for balance.
- Looking straight ahead, slowly squat down about 10 inches. This is the halfway point to a full squat.
- Pause for a few seconds, then stand up by pushing through your heels.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
5. Calf raises
This exercise strengthens the back of your lower legs, which includes your calf muscles.
To do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Position yourself next to a wall or hold on to the back of a chair for support.
- Lift both your heels off the ground so that you’re standing on the balls of your feet.
- Slowly lower your heels to the starting position. Control is important with this exercise for strengthening your calf muscles.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
6. Hamstring curl
The standing hamstring curl targets your hamstrings and glutes. It also requires good core strength to keep your upper body and hips steady.
To do this exercise:
- Stand facing a wall or use a chair for support. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
- Lift one foot up, bend your knee, and raise your heel toward the ceiling. Go as far as you can, while keeping your upper body still and hips pointing forward.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Relax and lower to the starting position.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
7. Leg extensions
Using your own body weight, rather than a weighted machine, to strengthen your quadriceps helps keep added pressure off your knees.
To do this exercise:
- Sit up tall in a chair.
- Put your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Look straight ahead, contract your thigh muscles, and extend one leg as high as possible without raising your buttocks off the chair.
- Pause, then lower to the starting position.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
8. Straight leg raises
The straight leg raise strengthens your quadriceps as well as your hip flexor muscles. If you flex your foot at the end of the move, you should also feel your shins tighten.
As this exercise gets easier to do, you can add a 5-pound ankle weight and gradually work up to a heavier weight as you build strength in your legs.
To do this exercise:
- For this exercise, you can use a mat to add cushioning under your back.
- Lie down on the floor with one leg bent and one leg straight out in front of you.
- Contract the quadricep of your straight leg and slowly raise it up off the floor until it’s the same height as your bent knee.
- Pause at the top for 5 seconds, then lower to the starting position
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
9. Side leg raises
This exercise works your hip abductor muscles as well as your glutes. Your hip abductor muscles, located on the outside of your hips, help you to stand, walk, and rotate your legs with ease. Strengthening these muscles can help prevent and treat pain in the hips and knees.
As this exercise gets easier to do, you can add a 5-pound ankle weight and gradually work up to a heavier weight as you build strength in your leg muscles.
To do this exercise:
- Lie on your side with your legs stacked on top of each other. Cradle your head in your hand, and place your other hand on the floor in front of you.
- Raise your top leg as high as you comfortably can. You should feel this on the side of your hips.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower your leg.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
10. Prone leg raises
This exercise works your hamstrings as well as your glutes. As this exercise gets easier to do, you can add a 5-pound ankle weight and gradually work up to a heavier weight as you build strength in your legs muscles.
To do this exercise:
- For this exercise, you can use a mat to add cushioning beneath you.
- Lie on your stomach with your legs straight out behind you. You can let your head rest on your arms.
- Engage your glute and hamstring muscles in your left leg and lift your leg as high as you comfortably can without causing pain. Be sure to keep your pelvic bones on the floor throughout this exercise.
- Hold your leg in the lifted position for 5 seconds.
- Lower your leg, rest for 2 seconds, then repeat.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg.
Once you’ve built up the strength in your knees, you may want to consider adding low-impact exercises to your routine. Low-impact exercises typically put less stress on your joints than high-impact exercises, like running or jumping.
Some good examples of low-impact exercises include:
Finding relief from knee pain depends on the cause or issue that’s making it difficult for you to go about your daily activities. Carrying excess weight puts extra stress on your knees, which may lead to osteoarthritis.
In this case, the most effective treatment, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is weight loss. Your doctor may recommend a combination of diet and exercise to help you lose weight and strengthen the muscles in your lower body, especially around your knees.
A 2013 study found that adults with overweight and knee osteoarthritis experienced a reduction in weight and knee pain after 18 months of a diet and exercise program.
But if overuse is the culprit, your doctor will likely suggest RICE — which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation — and physical therapy. A physical therapist can work with you to develop a program that includes range of motion exercises, stretches, and muscle strengthening movements.
Knee pain is a common ailment that affects over 18 million adults each year. Performing stretching and strengthening exercises that target the muscles that support your knees may help ease pain, improve range of motion and flexibility, and reduce the risk of future injuries.
With any type of joint pain, it’s best to talk to your doctor or physical therapist before starting an exercise program. They can help you select the exercises that are safest for you. They can also recommend modifications based on your knee pain and the underlying cause.
Last medically reviewed on December 13, 2019
How we reviewed this article:
Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Knee conditioning program. (2018).
orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/recovery/knee-conditioning-program/ - Messier SP, et al. (2013). Effects of intensive diet and exercise on knee joint loads, inflammation, and clinical outcomes among overweight and obese adults with knee osteoarthritis. DOI:
10.1001/jama.2013.277669 - Treatment guide: Knee pain. (n.d.).
my.clevelandclinic.org/ccf/media/files/ortho/knee_pain_guide - What’s the best way to find relief from your knee arthritis pain? (2018).
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-the-best-way-to-find-relief-from-your-knee-arthritis-pain/
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