9 Best Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis

“Knee exercises can have a number of benefits for knee OA,” says Irene S. Davis, PhD, a professor at the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences at Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

“Strengthening the knee muscles reduces the load on the knee joint and can help reduce symptoms. Some weight-bearing knee exercises help with overall balance and stability, which can help reduce falls,” says Dr. Davis, who’s a former president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Knee exercises can help with overall flexibility as well as help improve blood flow, bringing nutrients to the joint, while reducing pain and stiffness, leading to improved function in people with knee OA, adds Davis.

“The knee is a very dynamic joint, and muscle strength is pivotal for proper function,” says James B. Chen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at DISC Sports and Spine Center in Newport Beach, California. “Exercises not only improve muscle strength, which ensures stability and proper movement of our knees, but also promote circulation of synovial joint fluid, which lubricates the joint and can help reduce inflammation,” he says.

How to Exercise With Knee Arthritis

You should listen to your body and use pain as your guide in your exercise program. “Exercising through mild pain (less than 3 out of 10 on a pain scale) is acceptable, as it can improve symptoms by increasing range of motion and improving joint stability,” says Davis. But if your exercises increase knee pain, you should stop and resume later.

Dr. Chen adds that for people with arthritis, “it’s also very important to perform regular stretching to maintain flexibility.”

Below are some of the best exercises to improve your function and mobility if you have osteoarthritis knee pain. For all of these exercises, start with one set twice a day, and work up to two to three sets twice a day.

1. Leg Slides

This exercise improves the knee joint’s range of motion.

Equipment You’ll Need Gliding discs or just socks on a hardwood floor

How to Do It Lie on your back with your legs extended. Slowly slide one foot back toward your buttocks, bending your knee as far as possible; slide your foot back down to the extended position. Switch legs and repeat.

2. Bridging (or Glute Bridge)

This low-impact exercise will strengthen your hips. It also reduces knee pain by strengthening the glutes.

Equipment You’ll Need None

How to Do It Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips until your body forms a straight (diagonal) line from your shoulders to your knees; this will help you avoid overarching your lower back and putting stress on it. Hold for a second, then slowly lower.

3. Sit-to-Stand

This simple exercise strengthens your hips and knees and improves knee mobility.

Equipment You’ll Need A chair

4. Step-Ups

This exercise strengthens your hips, knees, thighs, and buttocks and improves knee mobility.

Equipment You’ll Need Staircase or sturdy platform

5. Heel Raises

This exercise strengthens your quadriceps, ankles, and calf muscles, helping to relieve pain and take pressure off the knees.

Equipment You’ll Need A sturdy chair or table

How to Do It Hold onto the back of a chair or place your hands on a table, and stand up straight and tall. Lift both heels off the floor as high as possible, so that you’re standing on your tip-toes, and tighten your quadriceps to keep your legs straight. Don’t allow your knees to bend. Hold for one second, then slowly lower your heels to the floor. Repeat. Over time, you can progress to performing this exercise on one foot at a time.

6. Straight Leg Raises

These exercises strengthen the quadriceps. This move can be done either sitting or lying down.

Equipment You’ll Need A chair

How to Do It Sit back in a firm chair, keeping your back straight, and straighten one leg out in front of you. Count to 10, and then slowly lower to the floor. Repeat 10 to 20 times with each leg.

If you’re doing it lying down, bend your left leg at the knee so that your left foot is on the floor. Keep the right leg straight and lift it up until it forms a 45 degree angle with the ground. Count to five, then lower, repeating 5 to 20 times with each leg.

7. Wall Slides

This movement targets your quadriceps and glutes.

Equipment You’ll Need A wall

How to Do It Lean your back and buttocks against a wall, keeping your legs shoulder-width apart and your feet 6 to 14 inches in front of you. Slowly slide down the wall by bending your knees until they form about a 45 degree angle. Bend less if you experience pain. Pause, then slowly slide back to the starting position.

8. Seated Hamstring Stretches

Equipment You’ll Need A chair

9. Calf Stretches

Here’s another useful stretch for knee osteoarthritis: the calf stretch.

Equipment You’ll Need A wall

How to Do It Stand facing a wall, place your forearms against the wall, and then slide one leg back behind you and bend the knee of the front leg. Lean forward with your hips and press the heel of the extended leg down against the floor. You will feel a gentle stretch in the knee, calf, and heel. Hold for 20 seconds, then switch legs.