Intermediate Knee
Strengthening Exercises

Written By: Chloe Wilson, BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy
Reviewed by: KPE Medical Review Board

Knee strengthening exercises will help nearly all cases of knee pain and can even prevent knee problems from developing and recurring.

Here we will look at intermediate level strengthening exercises for the knee and leg muscles.

I have grouped these knee strengthening exercises by muscle group: quads, hamstrings, buttocks, kneecap, calves and balance. Pick the ones you find best for you. 

If you haven’t already tried the beginners strengthening exercises, I suggest you start there. Once they are feeling easy, come back to these ones. Then, when you have mastered these ones, you can move on to the advanced knee strengthening exercises.

This exercise is a great twist on traditional squats and is one of my all-time favourite knee strengthening exercises. It strengthens the quads but protects the knees.

• Stand with your back against the wall, feet apart, toes pointing forwards
  
  
• Slowly slide down the wall a few inches bending your knees. Hold for 3-5 seconds and return to starting position
  
  
• Repeat 10-25 times, 2x daily
  
  
• Progress the exercise by increasing the depth of the dip or holding the bent knee position for longer (aiming for 10secs)

Top Tip: As you squat, don’t let your knees come too far in or out - Keep your knee in line with your second toe so you can always see your big toe past the inside of your knee

This is a great quads knee strengthening exercise that also helps reduce knee pain with stairs.

• Stand facing the bottom of the stairs or a single step. Hold onto the wall/rail for support if required
  
  
• Step up onto the first stair leading with the leg you want to strengthen. Without turning round, step both feet back down leading with the good leg
  
  
• Repeat 10-30 times, 2x daily
  
  
• For more of a challenge 1. Don’t hold onto anything 2. Keep the leg to be worked up on the step and just move the other leg up and down

Top Tip: If you don’t have any steps at home, be creative e.g. telephone directory

Step downs help to strengthen the quadriceps, improve balance and improve knee stability.

• Stand sideways on top of a step. Hold the wall/rail for support
  
  
• Slowly lower your good leg down to the floor and then bring it back up (keeping your other foot up on the step throughout)
  
  
• Repeat 5-20x, 2x daily
  
  
• For more of a challenge face forwards and step down instead of sideways, lightly touching the good leg to the floor

Top Tips: 1. You are aiming to do this in a slow, controlled fashion
2. Don’t let the knee twist inwards, keep it in line with your second toe so you can always see your big toe

Bridging is a great knee strengthening exercise as it strengthens the hamstrings whilst also working the quads and buttock muscles. Make sure you can do Bridging: stage 1 first.

• Lie on your back with both knees bent about 90° and your feet on the floor/bed
  
  
• Clench your buttocks and lift your bottom off the bed as high as you can without arching your back. Then lift one leg up. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower
  
  
• Repeat 10-25 times, 1-2x daily

Top Tips: 1. Keep your back straight – don’t let it arch as you lift up, it should be your bottom doing the work
2. Don’t hold your breath – keep breathing normally
3. Don’t let your hips drop during the exercise – keep them up as high as you can

Kneecap clenches is the best place to start when it comes to strengthening the muscles on the inside of your knee that are responsible for how the kneecap moves. They also help increase knee stability

• Sit in a chair, feet hip width apart with a soft football in between your knees
  
  
• Clench your buttocks, clench your knees and gently squeeze the ball with your knees. Hold for 3-5 secs and relax
  
  
• Repeat 10-20x, 2x daily

Top Tips: 1. Feel for the VMO muscle tightening with your fingers
2. When you squeeze the ball, make sure the squeezing movement comes from your knees, not your hips

More Kneecap Exercises

A simple exercise to strengthen the calf muscles to help support the knee

• Stand on one leg holding onto something solid e.g. table or wall for balance.
  
  
• Push up onto your tiptoes so your heel is up off the ground as high as you can. Hold for 3-5 secs and slowly lower
  
  
• Repeat 10-30 times, 2x daily

When you can do 30 repetitions on a single leg, that is a good sign you have good strength in your calf muscles

This exercise helps to improve balance and proprioception and helps your body learn the subtle adjustments needed for good balance.

• Stand with a small rolled up towel underneath the arch of your foot so you are on an uneven surface (toes and heel off the floor)
  
  
• Lift up your good leg and stand on one leg for as long as you can
  
  
• Spend 5 minutes doing this 2x daily
  

To challenge yourself further: 
1. Reach one arm out in different directions
2. Close your eyes
3. Throw and catch a ball
4. Slowly bend and straighten your knee a small amount