Quick answer: Knee exercises are beneficial for arthritis by strengthening muscles, particularly the quadriceps, which can act as shock absorbers and reduce cartilage load. Key exercises include straight leg raises, wall sits, step-ups, hamstring curls, calf raises, and seated knee extensions, performed consistently three times a week. These help reduce pain and improve physical function.
Why Knee Exercises Matter
The knee is the joint most commonly affected by osteoarthritis in the UK. Strong muscles around the knee — particularly the quadriceps — act as shock absorbers, reducing the load on damaged cartilage by up to 30%.
The Evidence
Exercise is one of the most consistently supported treatments for knee osteoarthritis in the medical literature. A 2023 individual-participant-data meta-analysis in The Lancet Rheumatology, combining results across multiple randomised trials of knee and hip osteoarthritis, found that therapeutic exercise produces a real, if modest, improvement in pain and physical function compared with not exercising — a finding echoed by NICE guidance, which recommends exercise as a core treatment for knee OA regardless of age, pain severity or disability.
The effect size varies between studies and individuals, and exercise alone will not eliminate symptoms for everyone — but consistently doing the right exercises remains one of the few interventions with a genuine, evidence-based track record for this condition.
The 6 Best Knee Exercises
1. Straight Leg Raises
Lie on your back, one knee bent. Tighten your thigh muscle and slowly raise your straight leg to the height of the bent knee. Hold 5 seconds. Lower slowly. - Sets/Reps: 3 × 10 each leg - Why it works: Strengthens quadriceps without bending the knee2. Wall Sits
Stand with your back against a wall. Slide down until your knees are at about 45 degrees (not 90°). Hold for 10–30 seconds. - Sets: 3 × 15–30 seconds - Why it works: Builds isometric quad strength3. Step-Ups
Using a low step (10–15 cm), step up leading with your affected leg. Step down slowly. - Sets/Reps: 2 × 10 each leg - Why it works: Functional strengthening for stairs4. Hamstring Curls
Stand holding a chair. Slowly bend one knee, bringing your heel toward your buttock. Hold 3 seconds. - Sets/Reps: 3 × 10 each leg - Why it works: Balances muscle support around the knee5. Calf Raises
Stand on both feet, slowly rise onto your toes. Hold 3 seconds. Lower slowly. - Sets/Reps: 3 × 12 - Why it works: Supports ankle stability and reduces knee strain6. Seated Knee Extensions
Sit in a chair. Slowly straighten one leg, hold 5 seconds, then lower. - Sets/Reps: 3 × 10 each leg - Why it works: Gentle quad strengthening for flare-up daysGolden Rules
- Start gently — begin with fewer reps and build up
- Dull ache is OK, sharp pain is not — stop if you feel sharp pain
- Apply the 24-hour rule — if your knee is worse 24 hours later, you did too much
- Consistency beats intensity — 3× weekly for 8 weeks minimum
- Warm up first — 5 minutes of gentle walking
Programme by James Walker, MCSP, HCPC Registered Physiotherapist
Practical next steps for Best Knee Exercises for Arthritis
If you came here about Best Knee Exercises for Arthritis, pick one change you can keep for a fortnight rather than overhauling everything at once. Note what hurts, what helps, and what you have already tried, then take that list to your GP, rheumatology nurse or physiotherapist so the conversation stays concrete.In many areas you can ask community musculoskeletal services about self-referral to physiotherapy or lifestyle support without waiting for a hospital letter. Check your GP surgery website or the NHS App for the route that applies where you live.
Building a joint-friendly routine
Start with short sessions you can repeat on most days. Warm water, cycling, or paced walking often suits stiff joints better than sudden high-impact bursts. Increase time or resistance slowly, and leave a rest day when a joint is hot, swollen or unusually painful. If you are unsure where to begin, ask about NHS physiotherapy or an exercise referral scheme via your GP surgery.
Pacing on good and bad days
On better days it is tempting to catch up on everything at once. Spread chores and exercise across the week instead. Use the two-hour rule many physiotherapists suggest: if pain or fatigue is clearly worse two hours after activity, the dose was too high — trim the next session rather than stopping altogether.
Working with NHS pathways
Most people start with GP care, community physiotherapy and self-management, with rheumatology involved when inflammatory disease is suspected or treatment needs escalate. Ask what monitoring blood tests or reviews you should expect, and who to contact between appointments if a flare escalates.
Quick questions about Best Knee Exercises Arthritis
Is this a substitute for seeing a clinician? No. Use it to prepare questions and understand options, then confirm decisions with your NHS team.How long before I judge whether a change helped? Give most habit or exercise changes at least two to four weeks, unless pain or swelling clearly worsens — in that case scale back sooner.
What should I track? Joint pain (0–10), morning stiffness time, sleep quality, and how far you can walk or how long you can type or stand. Patterns beat one-off ratings.
Safety and when to get urgent help
This page is general information for people in the United Kingdom, not personal medical advice. Seek urgent help via NHS 111 or A&E if you have sudden inability to move a joint, hot swollen joint with fever, chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or symptoms that feel immediately dangerous.
Keep learning with us
Explore related guides on Living With Arthritis UK — try the guides hub, diet hub, exercise hub, or site search to filter by topic and length. If benefits or work questions are on your mind, start at the Benefits & PIP hub.
Keep expectations kind while you work on best knee exercises for arthritis. Arthritis symptoms fluctuate; a quieter week does not mean you imagined earlier pain, and a flare does not mean every helpful habit has failed. Adjust one variable at a time so you can see what truly helps.
Continue reading
- Hand Exercises for Arthritis – Complete Guide — Simple hand and finger exercises to reduce arthritis stiffness, improve grip strength and maintain dexterity.
- Swimming for Arthritis: A Complete Guide — Why swimming is one of the best exercises for arthritis.
- Chair Yoga for Elderly Arthritis Stiffness Beginners — A complete beginner's guide to chair yoga for elderly people with arthritis stiffness — safe, seated poses that improve mobility, balance.
- Arthritis Exercises – Best Low-Impact Workouts UK — Discover NHS-recommended exercises for arthritis.