5 Exercises for Knee Pain (With Visual Examples)
Key takeaways:
Overuse, injury, and medical conditions like arthritis are common causes of knee pain.
Targeted stretching and strengthening exercises may improve stability and range of motion, which can help relieve knee pain.
Non-weight bearing exercises, where you sit or lie down, may be helpful to avoid putting added pressure on sore knees.
Table of contents
As the largest joint in your body, your knee is essential for movement. It supports your body weight and allows you to sit, stand, and walk.
Because you rely on your knees for so many functional moves, knee pain is a fairly common issue that can hinder your everyday activities. But it doesn't have to put a permanent cramp in your lifestyle. Exercise can help you manage and prevent knee pain.
Warm up first
It’s best to start with a warm-up before exercising with knee pain. Warming up involves gently moving your joints through their range of motion. This helps send blood to working muscles to increase flexibility and decrease stiffness. Most importantly, it helps reduce the risk of injury.
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A warm-up typically involves 5 to 10 minutes of dynamic stretches and activities. When exercising with knee pain, your warm-up should include moves that work your lower-body muscles. Examples include:
Simple exercises to help you manage knee pain
Once you’ve warmed up, you’re ready to start your workout. A carefully crafted workout plan should include stretching and strengthening exercises for knee pain. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider before starting a new fitness or exercise program. They can help you select safe and effective moves to manage your knee pain.
Because the knee is a weight-bearing joint, standing exercises increase pressure on your knees and may be uncomfortable at first. But that doesn't mean you should avoid them. It might help to start with non-weight-bearing exercises. This includes moves you can do while seated or lying down. Then, you can progress to standing exercises.
The exercises below can help you build knee strength and flexibility. Remember, the movements may increase discomfort but should not cause severe pain. Start slowly, and do the best you can.
1. Standing hamstring stretch
Tight hamstrings (the muscles in the back of your thighs) may cause or contribute to knee pain. Luckily, hamstring stretches can help you maintain the full range of motion in your knees and reduce your risk of injury.
Stand up straight in front of a step or exercise block.
Place your right heel on top of the step with your toes pointing up toward the ceiling. Make sure your leg is straight, so your knee is fully extended.
Bend forward, slowly moving your chest toward your right leg. Keep your back flat and your right leg straight as you lean forward. You should feel a stretch along the back of your right leg behind your knee.
Hold for 30 seconds. Then return to the starting position.
Repeat the stretch on the left side. Then return to the starting position.
Complete 3 to 5 times on each side.
2. Standing quadriceps stretch
Don't forget about the muscles in the front of your thighs. Stretching your quadriceps is also critical for maintaining knee function. Tight quads can stress your knee joints or prevent you from bending your knees fully.
Stand up straight and hold onto the back of a chair or another sturdy object for balance.
Bend your right knee, moving your heel toward your buttocks.
Gently grasp your right ankle to pull your foot closer to your body. You should feel a stretch along the front of your thigh. Squeeze your right glute to push your hip forward to increase the stretch along the front of your hip and thigh.
Hold for 30 seconds. Then relax.
Repeat on your left side. Then relax.
Repeat 3 to 5 times on each side.
3. Side-lying leg lifts
Side-lying leg lifts work the outer glute muscles that stabilize your hips and knees and help you stay balanced. These muscles are important for maintaining knee alignment, which can decrease stress with standing and walking.
Lie on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other. Your hips, knees, ankles, and feet should be aligned.
Rest your forearm on the floor or bend your arm and rest your head in your hand.
Draw your belly button in toward your spine to engage your core.
Lift your top leg toward the ceiling, keeping your toes pointing forward. Do not rotate your hip.
Slowly lower your top leg to the starting position.
Complete 20 repetitions on each side.
4. Clamshells
Clamshells help strengthen your hip muscles, which keep your joints aligned and help with balance, leg stability, and injury prevention. When you perform this exercise, your legs will resemble a clamshell opening and closing.
Lie on your side with your knees bent at a 45-degree angle and your forearm resting on the floor. Make sure your hips are stacked on top of each other. Your feet and ankles should be touching.
Engage your core by drawing your belly button in toward your spine.
Keep your feet together and lift your top knee up toward the ceiling. Do not let your body roll back.
Hold this position at the top for 5 to 10 seconds. Then relax and slowly lower your leg back to the starting position.
Complete 20 repetitions on each side.
5. Chair squats
This weight bearing exercise works multiple muscle groups of your hips and knees together. Chair squats can help build strength to make everyday movements easier.
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart in front of a chair.
Engage your core by drawing your belly button in toward your spine. Your spine should stay straight throughout the entire exercise.
Shift your hips back and lower your buttocks down as if you are going to sit down in the chair but stop to hover your hips just above the seat. Make sure to keep your knees aligned over your ankles. Do not let your knees cave in or your inner thighs touch. You can extend your arms out in front of you to help maintain your balance.
Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then squeeze your glutes and extend your knees to return to a standing position.
Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
What causes knee pain?
Gradual wear and tear, injury, and medical conditions may cause knee pain. Examples include:
Osteoarthritis: When you have osteoarthritis, the bone and cartilage in your joints break down over time. It often affects the knees, hips, and hands.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome: Also known as runner's knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) causes pain in the front of your knee behind your kneecap.
Broken or dislocated bones: Injuries, such as a fall or a direct blow to the knee during a car accident, may cause a broken or dislocated knee.
Soft tissue injuries: Soft tissue injuries affect your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Acute injuries –– such as ACL tears –– happen suddenly during physical activity or accidents. Overuse injuries, like tendinitis, occur over time, often with repetitive motions.
Autoimmune conditions: In some cases, knee pain may be related to autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Joint infections: In rare cases, knee pain may be a sign of more serious health issues like a joint infection. Symptoms include swelling, redness, warmth, and extreme pain in one knee joint. You may also have a fever or chills. See a healthcare provider right away for this medical emergency.
How does exercise help with knee pain?
It's undoubtedly challenging to exercise with knee pain. But there are plenty of reasons to practice provider-approved workouts. If you have knee pain, exercising can:
Reduce knee joint pain and stiffness
Improve range of motion in your knee
Increase leg flexibility
Strengthen muscles and bones in your leg
More specifically, targeted exercises may improve knee pain and function by releasing muscle tension that restricts joint movement. The right moves will also strengthen leg muscles that support your knees. Stronger leg muscles reduce pressure and stabilize your knee joints, protecting your knees from further damage or injury.
The bottom line
Knee pain can hinder your daily activities. Overuse and related injuries are often to blame. But exercise can help relieve aches and pains. Stretching and strengthening workouts may support your knee joints and improve your flexibility and range of motion. Starting with non-weight bearing exercises can be helpful if your knee pain worsens while standing. Remember to check with your healthcare provider before trying new exercises for knee pain.
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References
American Heart Association. (2014). Warm up, cool down.
Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). Anatomy of the knee.
Gaitonde, D. Y., et al. (2019). Patellofemoral pain syndrome. American Family Physician.
Iwata, M., et al. (2019). Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles.Journal of Sports Science & Medicine.
Jones, B. Q., et al. (2015). Nonsurgical management of knee pain in adults. American Family Physician.
Rixe, J. A., et al. (2013). A review of the management of patellofemoral pain syndrome. The Physician and Sports Medicine.
Takacs, J., et al. (2017). Dynamic balance training improves physical function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Thomas, E., et al. (2018). The relation between stretching typology and stretching duration: The effects on range of motion. International Journal of Sports Medicine.
Waryasz, G. R., et al. (2008). Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS): A systematic review of anatomy and potential risk factors. Dynamic Medicine.
