Best Low-Impact Exercises for Bad Knees (That Actually Work)

By Beast in Balance · 11 min read · Updated June 2025

Bad knees don’t have to mean bad fitness. These are the best low-impact exercises for bad knees — gentle on your joints, effective for building strength, and proven to actually reduce pain over time.

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1. 🪑 Seated Leg Extension

BEST FOR: Quads · Knee Stability · Beginners · Chair-Based

Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly straighten one leg until it is parallel to the floor, pause for a second at the top, then lower it back down with control. Keep the movement slow and deliberate — 2 seconds up, 1 second hold, 3 seconds down. Repeat on both legs. No equipment needed, and you can add a light ankle weight as you get stronger.

The quadriceps are the primary muscles that stabilise the knee joint — and for many people with knee pain, quad weakness is a significant contributing factor. Seated leg extensions directly target the quads without placing any compressive load on the knee, making them one of the safest possible starting points for knee rehabilitation. Physiotherapists commonly prescribe this exact movement in the early stages of recovery from knee injuries and surgery.

💡 Pro Tip: To increase the difficulty without adding weight, pause for 3–5 seconds at the top of each rep and really squeeze the quad. This isometric hold dramatically increases muscle activation without adding any joint stress.

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2. 🍑 Glute Bridge

BEST FOR: Glutes · Hamstrings · Lower Back · Knee Offloading

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Drive your hips up towards the ceiling by squeezing your glutes hard, creating a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold for a full second at the top, then lower slowly and with control. Your feet stay flat throughout — no tip-toeing. Add a dumbbell across your hips once bodyweight feels easy.

Weak glutes are one of the most common and overlooked causes of knee pain. When the glutes fail to do their job, the knee compensates — taking on forces it isn’t designed to handle. Strengthening the glutes directly reduces the load on the knee joint and corrects the movement patterns that cause pain in the first place. This exercise is one of the highest-value things anyone with knee problems can consistently do.

💡 Pro Tip: If you feel this in your lower back rather than your glutes, place your feet slightly further from your body and focus on initiating the movement with a deliberate glute squeeze before your hips leave the floor.

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3. 🧱 Wall Sit

BEST FOR: Quads · Isometric Strength · Knee Rehabilitation

Stand with your back flat against a wall and your feet about 60cm out in front of you. Slide down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor — or as far as is comfortable — and hold that position. Start with 20–30 seconds and work up gradually. Keep your back flat against the wall throughout and make sure your knees don’t drift inward.

Wall sits are an isometric exercise — meaning the muscle contracts without moving through a range of motion. This makes them uniquely well-suited for knee pain sufferers because isometric quad contractions have been shown in research to provide immediate pain relief in conditions like patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee), often within a single session. They also build serious quad endurance, which translates directly to better joint protection during everyday movement.

💡 Pro Tip: Adjust the angle to control difficulty. A higher position (less bend in the knee) is easier and puts less stress on the joint — start here and gradually work toward a lower position as strength improves.

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4. 🦵 Straight Leg Raise

BEST FOR: Quads · Hip Flexors · Post-Surgery Recovery · Zero Knee Bend

Lie flat on your back. Bend one knee with the foot flat on the floor for support, and keep the other leg fully straight. Tighten the quad of the straight leg, then lift it until it’s level with your bent knee — roughly 45 degrees off the floor. Hold for a second, then lower slowly. Keep your lower back pressed gently into the floor throughout to protect your lumbar spine.

The straight leg raise is arguably the safest quad-strengthening exercise that exists — the knee joint is under virtually zero load because it doesn’t bend at all. It’s a staple of post-surgical knee rehabilitation precisely because it builds quad strength without any movement through the joint. Don’t be fooled by how simple it looks — done slowly with a pause at the top, the burn arrives quickly and the strength gains are very real.

💡 Pro Tip: Add a light ankle weight (0.5–2 kg) once bodyweight feels easy. This small addition significantly increases the training stimulus without adding any stress to the knee itself.

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5. 🐚 Clamshell

BEST FOR: Hip Abductors · Glute Med · IT Band Issues · Knee Alignment

Lie on your side with your hips and knees bent at roughly 45 degrees, feet together. Keeping your feet touching, rotate your top knee upward as far as you can — like a clamshell opening — without your pelvis rolling backward. Pause at the top, then lower with control. Work through the full range of motion slowly. A resistance band around your thighs increases the difficulty.

The clamshell targets the gluteus medius — a muscle on the outer hip that most people have never consciously trained but which plays a crucial role in knee health. When the glute med is weak, the knee collapses inward during movement, dramatically increasing stress on the joint. Strengthening the glute med through clamshells is one of the most direct ways to correct the knee collapse pattern that underlies many chronic knee pain conditions.

💡 Pro Tip: Place your hand on your top hip as you do this exercise. If you feel your pelvis rolling backward as you lift, you’re going too far — reduce the range and focus on keeping the pelvis completely still.

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6. 🪜 Low Step-Up

BEST FOR: Quads · Glutes · Balance · Functional Strength

Use a low, sturdy step — 10–15cm is ideal to start with. Place one foot fully on the step and drive through that heel to lift yourself up, bringing the other foot up beside it. Step back down one foot at a time. Lead with the same leg for a full set, then switch. Keep your chest up and your stepping knee tracking over your second toe — not caving inward. Increase height gradually as strength improves.

The step-up mimics one of the most common everyday movements — climbing stairs — and trains it in a controlled, progressive way. Unlike squats and lunges, a low step-up puts the knee under load through a limited range of motion, making it genuinely accessible even when pain is present. It’s one of the best bridges between seated rehabilitation exercises and more demanding functional training. Most people can progress from a low step to a full stair height within a few weeks of consistent training.

💡 Pro Tip: Control the lowering phase slowly — 3 seconds down — rather than just stepping up and dropping back. The eccentric (lowering) portion is where much of the strength-building stimulus comes from and is especially valuable for knee health.

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7. 🏊 Swimming or Pool Walking

BEST FOR: Cardio · Full Body · Zero Joint Impact · Active Recovery

Swimming laps, water aerobics, or simply walking back and forth in the shallow end of a pool — all are excellent options. The water supports your body weight, removing most of the gravitational load from your joints while still allowing your muscles to work against resistance. Aim for 20–30 minutes at a comfortable pace to start, gradually increasing duration as your fitness improves.

Water buoyancy reduces the effective weight going through your joints by up to 90% — making swimming one of the purest forms of zero-impact cardio available. For people with severe knee pain who can’t tolerate any weight-bearing exercise at all, pool-based training is often the only form of exercise that remains completely pain-free. It also provides resistance in all directions, building muscular endurance in the hips, legs, and core that supports knee stability on land.

💡 Pro Tip: If swimming isn’t accessible, a warm bath or foot soak before land-based exercise can help reduce morning stiffness and make your first few movements more comfortable — a small but genuinely useful trick.

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8. 🚴 Stationary Cycling

BEST FOR: Cardio · Quad Strength · Knee Mobility · Fat Loss

Set the seat height so your knee has a slight bend at the bottom of the pedal stroke — never fully extended and never deeply bent. Start with low resistance and a comfortable cadence (60–80 rpm), pedalling for 15–20 minutes. Build duration before you build resistance. Upright bikes and recumbent bikes are both suitable — recumbent bikes put even less stress on the lower back, which is a bonus if that’s also an issue.

Cycling is one of the most recommended forms of exercise for people with knee osteoarthritis, and for good reason — it moves the knee through its range of motion under low load, which helps maintain joint fluid circulation and reduce stiffness. Regular low-resistance cycling has been shown to reduce knee pain and improve function in osteoarthritis patients, often more effectively than painkillers alone. It also provides meaningful cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits without any impact whatsoever.

💡 Pro Tip: Seat height is everything on a bike with bad knees. Too low and you’ll aggravate the joint; too high and you’ll rock your pelvis. When the pedal is at its lowest point, your knee should have a 25–35 degree bend — a slight softness, not a deep bend.

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9. 🚶 Walking

BEST FOR: General Activity · Joint Health · Mental Wellbeing · Weight Management

It sounds almost too simple, but regular walking — done consistently and at the right intensity — is one of the most evidence-backed interventions for knee pain. Start with flat terrain and a comfortable pace for 15–20 minutes. Wear supportive footwear and avoid hard, uneven surfaces in the early stages. Build up by 10% per week — no more — to allow your joints and connective tissue to adapt. A walking pad at home is a great option if the weather or uneven outdoor terrain is a barrier.

Walking is a weight-bearing activity — unlike swimming or cycling — which means it keeps bones strong and stimulates cartilage health in a way that non-weight-bearing exercise can’t fully replicate. Research consistently shows that regular moderate walking reduces knee pain, improves function, and slows the progression of osteoarthritis — even when it initially feels uncomfortable to start. The key is gradual, consistent progression rather than doing too much too soon.

💡 Pro Tip: A short walk after meals — even just 10 minutes — is particularly beneficial. It aids digestion, helps manage blood sugar, and keeps the knee joint moving gently after periods of sitting, which is when stiffness tends to build up most.

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10. 🦵 Standing Calf Raise

BEST FOR: Calves · Ankle Stability · Circulation · Knee Load Reduction

Stand with feet hip-width apart near a wall or chair for balance. Rise up onto the balls of your feet as high as you comfortably can, hold for a second at the top, then lower slowly back to the floor. Keep the movement controlled throughout — the lowering phase matters as much as the rise. You can progress to single-leg calf raises once the double-leg version feels easy.

The calves and Achilles tendon act as shock absorbers for the lower leg — when they’re weak, more of that force travels up into the knee. Strong calves also improve ankle stability, which directly affects how the knee tracks during movement. Calf raises are one of the most underrated exercises for knee pain because they address the chain below the joint rather than the joint itself — and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

💡 Pro Tip: Do calf raises on a slight step edge if you have one available — allowing your heel to drop below the step before rising up gives a greater range of motion and a deeper stretch through the Achilles, which improves flexibility as well as strength.

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How to Make Progress with Bad Knees

The goal isn’t just to manage your knee pain — it’s to build enough strength and stability that the pain becomes less of a factor over time. These principles will help you get there consistently and safely.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to exercise if my knees hurt?

In most cases, yes — with the right exercises and appropriate intensity. The key distinction is between the mild discomfort of working a joint through its range of motion (generally fine) and sharp, worsening, or swelling-inducing pain (a signal to stop). The exercises in this guide are specifically chosen to be safe for most people with knee pain, but if you’re unsure about your specific condition, speak to a physiotherapist before starting.

What is the best exercise for bad knees?

There’s no single best exercise — the most effective approach combines quad-strengthening movements (seated leg extensions, wall sits, straight leg raises) with glute and hip work (glute bridges, clamshells) and low-impact cardio (cycling, swimming, walking). Together these address the muscle weaknesses and movement pattern issues that drive most chronic knee pain.

Can I do squats if I have bad knees?

It depends on the cause and severity of your pain. Traditional deep squats can aggravate some knee conditions — but shallow squats, goblet squats to a chair, and sit-to-stand movements are often well-tolerated and highly beneficial. Start with the seated and floor-based exercises in this guide first, build strength, and reintroduce squat-pattern movements gradually under guidance if needed.

How long does it take for knee pain to improve with exercise?

Most people notice meaningful improvement within 4–8 weeks of consistent low-impact training. The connective tissue around the knee — cartilage, tendons, ligaments — adapts more slowly than muscle, so it takes time. Stick with the programme even if the first two weeks feel slow. The compounding effect of consistent, appropriate exercise is significant over months.

Should I use a knee brace when exercising?

A brace can provide useful support and confidence during exercise, particularly for activities like walking and cycling. However, it shouldn’t be a substitute for building the muscle strength that provides natural joint support. If you find you can’t exercise comfortably without a brace, that’s a sign the supporting muscles still need work — the exercises in this guide directly address that.

Is walking good or bad for bad knees?

Walking is generally good for bad knees — especially at a moderate, comfortable pace on flat terrain. It maintains joint mobility, stimulates cartilage health, and strengthens the supporting muscles over time. The key is starting conservatively (15–20 minutes), wearing supportive footwear, and building up gradually rather than going too far too soon and causing a flare-up.

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© 2025 Beast in Balance · For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified fitness or healthcare professional before starting a new exercise programme, particularly if you have an existing injury or medical condition.