Knee Pain Holding You Back? Try These 6 Exercises
This routine strengthens the six muscle groups that support the knee without loading the joint itself: quadriceps, hip abductors, hamstrings, calves, glutes and the gluteus medius. It uses no equipment, takes under ten minutes, and the video is explicit that a single session will not fix the problem — it prescribes daily practice.
What are the six knee exercises?
| Exercise | What it targets | Prescription |
|---|---|---|
| Straight leg raises | Quadriceps, with no load through the knee joint | 12 to 15 reps per leg, 2-second hold at the top, slow lowering |
| Side-lying leg raises | Hip abductors, which stop the knee collapsing inward | 15 reps per side, raise to about 45 degrees, 1 to 2 second hold |
| Standing hamstring curls | Hamstrings, which absorb force through the knee | 12 reps per side, squeeze at the top, no swinging |
| Calf raises | Calves, which absorb ground impact | 15 to 20 reps, 2-second squeeze at the top, at least 3 seconds lowering |
| Glute bridges | Retrains loading through the hips rather than the knees | 12 to 15 reps, 2 to 3 second hold |
| Clamshells | Gluteus medius, for knee tracking | 15 reps per side, hips stacked and still, 2-second hold |
Why do weak hips cause knee pain?
The video explains the mechanism it is targeting: when the hip abductors are weak the knee drifts inward with each step — a pattern it names as valgus — which concentrates pressure on the joint. Two troubleshooting cues are given. If a straight leg raise is felt in the hip flexor rather than the quad, slow down and squeeze the quad harder before lifting. If a glute bridge causes pressure in the knees, move the feet slightly further from the hips.
Read the research behind it
Our written guide is how to fix knee pain with exercise. If your knee pain shows up specifically in split squats or lunges, our evidence article on Bulgarian split squats and knees addresses that directly, and ankle mobility covers the joint below that changes how the knee tracks. Knee pain that is new and severe, or comes with locking or swelling, should be assessed by a clinician first.
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