Knee rehab exercises at home

A gentle starter routine

• Quad sets: sit with your leg straight, tighten the thigh for 5 seconds, relax. 10 reps.
• Straight-leg raises: lying down, lift a straight leg to the height of the other bent knee. 2 sets of 8 to 10.
• Sit-to-stand: stand up from a chair without using your hands, sit back down slowly. 2 sets of 8.
• Step-ups: onto a low step, leading with the sore leg, slow on the way down. 2 sets of 8.
• Shallow squats: only as deep as stays comfortable. 2 sets of 10.

How often

Most routines like this are done once a day or every other day. Mild discomfort that settles within a day is common; pain that builds is a sign to ease off.

Common reasons for knee pain at home

• Pain around or behind the kneecap, often worse on stairs or after sitting (often called runner's knee).
• Pain just below the kneecap, worse with jumping (often called jumper's knee).
• General stiffness and aching, common with knee osteoarthritis.
• Weakness after an injury or a period of inactivity.
• The exercises overlap a lot, but your physio can tell you which type you have and adjust the plan.

Building on the starter routine

1. Mini squats. Holding a counter, bend your knees slightly as if sitting back, then stand up. 3 sets of 10, going deeper only as it stays comfortable.
2. Step-ups. Step up onto the bottom stair with the sore leg, then step down slowly. 3 sets of 10. Hold the rail.
3. Side-lying leg raises. Lie on your side and lift the top leg up and slightly back. 3 sets of 12. Strong hips help the knee track well.
4. Wall sit. Back against the wall, knees bent only as far as comfortable. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, 3 to 5 times.
5. Single-leg balance. Stand on the sore leg for 30 seconds at a counter. 3 times.

How much pain is okay

Many knee programs use a simple rule: mild discomfort during exercise, around 2 to 3 out of 10, is usually acceptable if it settles within a day. If the knee is more swollen or painful the next morning, ease off and go back to the previous level.

Keeping a short log of your pain before and after each session makes these decisions much easier, and gives your physio useful information at your next visit.

Daily life tips

• Use the rail on stairs and lead with the stronger leg going up, the sore leg going down, while it's painful.
• Avoid sitting for long periods with the knee bent. Stand up and straighten it every 30 minutes.
• Keep moving. Walking and cycling are usually knee-friendly ways to stay active.
• Supportive shoes help many people more than expensive braces.

Apex One knee programs

Apex One has guided programs for runner's knee, jumper's knee and general knee strength, for between physio sessions. Each one talks you through the exercises out loud, times your holds and asks for a pain score before and after. The camera isn't used for rehab exercises.

A simple weekly structure

Most home knee programs work well with strength exercises three or four days a week and gentle activity like walking or cycling on the other days. Range of motion exercises, such as heel slides and quad sets, can be done daily. Increase one thing at a time: a few more reps, a slightly deeper squat, or a higher step, not all at once.

If you're working with a physio, bring your log to each visit. Pain scores before and after, which exercises felt hard, and anything that caused a flare-up help them adjust the plan.

Exercises that often aggravate sore knees early on

Deep squats and lunges with lots of load, jumping, running downhill, kneeling for long periods and sitting cross-legged can be irritating while the knee is sore. They're not banned forever; they're just usually brought back later once strength has improved.

If an everyday task like stairs hurts, break it down: use the rail, take one step at a time, and practise step-ups as an exercise so the movement gets easier.

Which knee program fits?

• Pain around or behind the kneecap, worse on stairs: Knee: runner's knee (pain around the kneecap).
• Pain just below the kneecap after jumping or running: Knee: jumper's knee (patellar tendon).
• General weakness or a knee that just feels unreliable: Knee: general strength.

Building up over weeks

Once the starter routine feels easy, typical progressions are deeper sit-to-stands, slower step-downs from a low step, and single-leg work held at a counter. Add one change at a time and watch how the knee feels the next morning. Apex One has no program for after knee replacement or other surgery; follow your surgical team's plan.

Stop and get checked if

• Your knee locks, gives way or swells up quickly
• You can't put weight on it, or it followed a fall or twist
• Pain is getting worse week on week, or wakes you at night

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

Keep exploring

• Runner's knee exercisesApex One
• Knee osteoarthritis exercisesApex One
• Patellar tendinopathy exercisesApex One
• Rehab exercisesApex One
• Knee strengthening exercisesApex One
• Jumper's knee exercises (patellar tendinopathy)Guide
• Exercises after knee replacement at homeGuide
• Home physiotherapy app: rehab exercises between physio sessionsGuide
• Exercises after ACL surgery at homeGuide