Free routine
Knee stretch routine
Gentle stretches for the muscles around the knee, followed hands free. Press start and the timer moves you through each hold. Nothing to install and no sign up.
- Standing quad stretch, left30s
- Standing quad stretch, right30s
- Standing hamstring stretch, left30s
- Standing hamstring stretch, right30s
- Calf stretch, left30s
- Calf stretch, right30s
- Seated knee extension hold, left20s
- Seated knee extension hold, right20s
- Kneeling hip flexor, left30s
- Kneeling hip flexor, right30s
- Figure four, left30s
- Figure four, right30s
Ease into each stretch and breathe. Never pull into sharp pain. Press space to pause.
The Routines app is on the way
Build any knee, mobility or stretch routine and run it hands free, with a voice that reads each hold and a giant next button. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it lands.
Stretching the muscles around the knee
The knee is supported by the muscles above and below it: the quads at the front of the thigh, the hamstrings at the back and the calves lower down. When these muscles stay loose, they pull less on the joint and knee strain tends to ease. This routine is general mobility work, not medical treatment. If your knee hurts, it aims to keep the surrounding muscles supple rather than to fix a specific problem.
When to do it
Do these stretches after activity or any time the muscles are warm, such as after a walk or a workout. Cold muscles stretch less well, so move gently for a few minutes first if you are starting from rest. Stop straight away if anything feels sharp. A mild pull is the goal, never a stab of pain.
How to use it
Press start and the timer walks you through each hold, hands free. Ease into each stretch to the point of a mild pull and hold it there while you breathe steadily. Do not bounce or force the range. If a stretch feels too strong, back off until it is comfortable. You want a gentle pull, not pain.
Where the app takes over
This page runs one fixed routine in the browser and saves nothing between visits. The Routines app, coming soon from the makers of STRNTH, lets you build any routine of holds and steps, reads each one out loud and keeps a history of what you have done. Leave your email above and we will let you know when it is ready. In the meantime you can also try the full body stretch routine. Persistent knee pain should be checked by a physio.
Common questions
What stretches help knee pain?
Stretches for the muscles that support the knee tend to help most: the quads, hamstrings and calves, plus the hip flexors and glutes higher up. This routine works through all of them, which can ease the pull on the joint and help you move more freely.
Are these stretches safe for sore knees?
They are gentle and stay within a comfortable range, so they suit mildly sore knees well. Ease off at once if you feel any sharp pain rather than a mild pull. For ongoing knee pain, see a physio before you keep stretching.
How often should I do knee stretches?
Most days is fine. A short routine done often does more than a long one now and then, so a few minutes daily will keep the muscles around the knee supple better than the odd long session.
Should I stretch before or after exercise?
Save these static holds for after exercise or a warm body. Before training, move through a dynamic warm up instead, so the muscles are ready to work.