Move · Videos · Gentle & Seated · 18 min

Gentle Knee Exercises for Arthritis

Gentle Knee Exercises for Arthritis — video by Arthritis UK Play · 17:30

Video by Arthritis UK on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A physiotherapist and a man living with arthritis take you through knee strength and range-of-motion exercises: seated knee extensions and leg crosses, sit-to-stands, step-ups, lying knee presses and leg raises, and heel slides.

  • 18 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • chair, step, towel

Good forHealthy ageing

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Step by step 8

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Seated knee extension: sit tall, straighten one knee, toes pulled up, and hold for five seconds; then the other. 1:12
  2. Leg cross: cross the ankles, straighten both knees and press the legs together, holding as long as is comfortable. 2:41
  3. Sit-to-stand from a seat at knee height or higher: stand without pushing off, then sit down slowly and quietly. 4:10
  4. Step-ups on the bottom stair or a step, one foot leading then the other, holding a wall or banister if needed. 5:53
  5. Lie down with a rolled towel under the heel: press the knee down and pull the toes up for five seconds; each leg. 7:31
  6. Thigh over a folded cushion: straighten the knee with the toes pulled up and hold for five seconds; each leg. 9:43
  7. Straight leg raise: one knee bent, the other leg straight, lift the foot a few inches and hold for five; each leg. 11:49
  8. Sitting against a sofa or wall: slide one heel towards your bottom and back, 10 each leg, as far as is comfortable. 14:54

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Pull the toes towards the nose as you straighten the knee
  • Sit back down as quietly and slowly as you can
  • Hold a wall or banister on step-ups if your balance is unsure

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 2 takes load

  • Hips takes loadsit-to-stands, step-ups, lying leg raises
  • Knees takes loadsit-to-stands, step-ups, seated knee extensions
  • Ankles & feet movesstep-ups, pulling toes towards the nose
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.

Easier option from the coach: Sofa or bed instead of floor; cushion for sit-to-stand; wall or banister on step-ups

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Arthritis UK; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety