For most long-standing knee pain, including osteoarthritis, the right exercise helps rather than harms. Strengthening the muscles around the knee and doing gentle, low-impact cardio reduce pain and make everyday movement easier. Start gently, build up slowly, and get medical advice first if your knee is newly injured, badly swollen or very painful.
First, check it’s safe to start
Get advice before exercising if your knee pain follows a recent injury. The NHS advises getting urgent help if:
- your knee is very painful, or you can’t move it or put weight on it
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape
- you have a very high temperature and your knee is red or hot
See a doctor if knee pain doesn’t improve within a few weeks. A physiotherapist can assess your knee and tailor exercises for you.
Why exercise helps sore knees
It can feel wrong to move a painful knee, but for osteoarthritis the evidence is clear. A Cochrane systematic review of 54 studies found that land-based exercise reduced knee pain and improved physical function to a moderate degree, and that the benefits lasted for 2 to 6 months after the treatment programme ended.
The NHS recommends a combination of exercises to strengthen your muscles and exercises to improve your general fitness. Strong thigh and hip muscles take load off the knee joint, and regular movement keeps it from stiffening.
The pain rule of thumb
A common physiotherapy rule of thumb while you build up:
- Mild discomfort during exercise that settles within a day is usually acceptable.
- Sharp pain, or pain that is worse the next day, means do less: fewer repetitions, a smaller range of movement or a lighter version.
- Swelling, locking or giving way means stop and get advice.
Eight knee-friendly moves
Do them slowly, breathe normally, and stay within a comfortable range. Start with 1 set of 8 to 10 repetitions.
1. Seated leg straightening (front of thigh)
Sit tall on a chair. Slowly straighten one knee until your leg is level, hold for 3 seconds, and lower. Later, loop a light bag over your ankle for extra load.
2. Straight-leg raise (front of thigh)
Lie on your back, one knee bent. Tighten the front of the other thigh and lift that straight leg to the height of the bent knee, then lower slowly.
3. Sit-to-stand from a higher chair (thighs and hips)
Use a chair high enough that standing is comfortable, or add a cushion. Stand up through your heels and sit back down slowly. Lower the seat over the weeks as you get stronger.
4. Glute bridge (hips)
Lie on your back, knees bent. Squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips, then lower slowly. Strong hips help keep the knee in line.
5. Side-lying leg lift (outer hip)
Lie on your side with your bottom knee bent. Lift your top leg, keeping it straight and slightly behind you, then lower slowly.
6. Standing hamstring curl (back of thigh)
Holding the kitchen counter, bend one knee to bring your heel towards your buttock, then lower slowly.
7. Calf raise at the counter (calves and balance)
Holding the counter, rise onto your toes and lower slowly.
8. Heel slides (knee movement)
Lie on your back and slowly slide one heel towards you, bending the knee as far as is comfortable, then slide it back. Good for stiff mornings.
Low-impact cardio for sore knees
- Walking on level ground, starting with 10 minutes and building up.
- Cycling, on a stationary bike if you have one.
- Swimming or water exercise, where the water supports your weight.
- Chair dancing and seated cardio, which get your heart rate up without loading the knees.
Aim to build up towards the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week that WHO recommends for adults, spread across the week, plus strength exercises on at least 2 days.
What to go easy on at first
- Deep squats and lunges: use partial ranges and a chair instead.
- Jumping, running and fast twisting moves.
- Walking down steep slopes or long flights of stairs.
- Sitting cross-legged or squatting on the floor for long periods, and kneeling on hard floors without a cushion.
Everyday habits that protect your knees
- Lose weight if you need to. The NHS notes that being overweight often makes osteoarthritis worse by adding strain on joints. Our Indian diet guide shows a realistic approach.
- Wear shoes with shock-absorbing soles, which the NHS says can relieve pressure on the joints in your legs.
- Use a walking stick if you need one, held on the opposite side to the painful knee, as the NHS advises.
- Keep moving through the day: short walks are better than long periods of sitting.
A simple week
- Monday and Thursday: the eight moves (about 20 minutes).
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday: 20 to 30 minutes of level walking, cycling or chair dancing.
- Every morning: heel slides and seated leg straightening to ease stiffness.
- Sunday: rest or a gentle walk.
As your knees get stronger, move on to our strength training guide for women over 40. If you are new to exercise, our 4-week beginner plan is another gentle starting point, and our lower body workout has knee-kind options for when you are ready for more.
How FunDa helps
Many women join FunDa with knee pain. Our workouts use a chair for support and low-impact moves, and the Lower Body Transformation program includes a live lower body session with Dr. Jyoti every week. Tell our team about your knees before you start so we can adjust the moves. We coach exercise, not medical treatment; follow your doctor’s or physiotherapist’s advice, and results vary from person to person.
Sources
- NHS. Knee pain (reviewed 21 December 2023).
- NHS. Osteoarthritis: treatment (reviewed 20 March 2023).
- Fransen M et al. Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee: a Cochrane systematic review. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(24):1554-7.
- Bull FC et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020.
How we write our guides: read our editorial and evidence policy.
