Pain guide · Knee pain

Knee pain when sitting or standing up: the kneecap, arthritis, the back of the knee and what helps

An ache around the kneecap after sitting with your knees bent, at the cinema, in the car or at a desk, is a common sign of kneecap (patellofemoral) pain: more than half of people with it report trouble with long sits. Stiffness for the first few steps after sitting, from mid-life, is more often knee arthritis. Pain behind the knee when it's fully bent, or numbness in the foot after sitting with your legs crossed, has other causes, which the map below covers.

This guide starts with the signs that need help, from the National Health Service's 111 line (NHS 111) to a general practitioner (GP). Then it covers how to sit and stand up while your knee settles, what the research says (including the mixed evidence on whether sitting itself matters), and a three-stage plan of hip and thigh strength work, the main treatment for both kneecap pain and arthritis, with a 3D demo of every move.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 56 sourcesUpdated 25 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Get advice from NHS 111 now: you cannot move the knee or put any weight on it, or it is very painful, badly swollen or has changed shape.
Get advice from NHS 111 now: the knee locks, gives way or clicks painfully. Painless clicking is normal.
Get advice from NHS 111 now: a hot, red or swollen knee with sudden severe pain, a very high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery. This can be a joint infection.
Go to A&E if you've injured your knee and it has changed shape, it becomes very swollen very quickly, you felt a pop or snap, you can see bone sticking out, or it's bleeding heavily. Don't drive yourself: ask someone to take you, or call 999 if the pain means you can't move your leg to get there.
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 for pain or swelling in your leg that suddenly gets worse; swelling, bruising and warm skin on your leg; red or darkened skin on your leg; or swelling in your leg that gets harder or softer. These can be a burst Baker's cyst or a blood clot.
Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or oestrogen-containing contraception or HRT.
Leg pain or swelling with breathlessness or chest pain: call 999 or go to A&E, and do not drive yourself. It can be a blood clot that has reached the lungs.
Back or leg symptoms with numbness around the genitals or bottom, new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or severe or worsening weakness or numbness in both legs.
Call 999, even if the symptoms stop: sudden weakness or numbness down one side of the body, a drooping face, an arm you can't lift, or slurred speech. These are signs of a stroke, and a sudden foot drop can be part of one.
Call 999 or go to A&E: a child or teenager with sudden knee or thigh pain, even if the knee itself looks normal. Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): a child or teenager with a limp. Hip problems can be felt in the knee.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Knee pain that has not improved within a few weeks of looking after it at home. Many areas offer NHS physiotherapy without a GP referral.
Kneecap pain that hasn't improved within 6 weeks of changing your activities and doing the exercises, or that gets worse: talk to a GP or physiotherapist.
Your knee is hot, swollen or tender, especially if you can't remember injuring it: contact your GP practice, or NHS 111 if it's closed. A hot knee with a very high temperature is urgent (above).
The knee gives way, the whole knee swells, or it catches or locks: that isn't typical of kneecap or tendon pain. Get it checked for a ligament or meniscus injury (our suggestion).
Swelling in several joints, or morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes: see a GP. It can be an inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis rather than wear and tear.
Numbness, tingling or weakness that travels down the leg from the back. That points to a nerve (sciatica) rather than the knee.
Difficulty lifting the front part of your foot and toes: see a GP. The NHS says crossing your legs, kneeling or squatting for long periods can injure the nerve that lifts the foot. Sudden weakness with a drooping face, arm weakness or slurred speech, or with numbness around your genitals or bottom, is a 999 emergency.
Bone pain that is constant or worse at night, especially with a lump, unexplained weight loss, fever or tiredness, or a past history of cancer.

Where does it hurt?

Location narrows the likely causes; it does not diagnose.

An ache around or behind the kneecap after sitting for a while with your knees bent, also sore on stairs, squatting and kneeling

Usually kneecap (patellofemoral) pain, often called runner's knee.

Read: Runner's knee →Anywhere at the front of the knee

Our front of knee pain guide maps the kneecap, the tendons and growing knees.

Read: Front of knee pain →Stiffness and pain for the first steps after sitting, easing as you get going, from mid-life

Typical of knee arthritis (osteoarthritis).

Read: Knee arthritis →Pain or fullness behind the knee when it's fully bent, cross-legged or sitting back on your heels

A Baker's cyst, a tendon or the back of the meniscus.

Read: Pain behind the knee →A lump behind the knee

Often a Baker's cyst. A calf that becomes painful, swollen or red needs a same-day check.

Read: Baker's cyst →Pain on the inner or outer joint line when sitting cross-legged or on the floor, sometimes with catching

Possibly the meniscus.

Read: Meniscus tear →Mainly as you push up from a chair, or when you bend or straighten the knee

Our knee pain when bending guide.

Read: Knee pain when bending →Mainly on stairs

Our knee pain on stairs guide.

Read: Knee pain on stairs →Mainly when you kneel

Our knee pain when kneeling guide.

Read: Knee pain when kneeling →Numbness on the outer lower leg or top of the foot, or a foot that catches, after sitting with your legs crossed

Pressure on the nerve at the outer knee. Difficulty lifting the foot needs a GP.

Read: Foot drop →Knee pain with hip or thigh pain, or in a child with a limp

It can come from the hip: a child or teenager needs a same-day check.

Read: Hip pain →Low back pain when you sit instead

Our back pain from sitting guide.

Read: Back pain from sitting →Hip or groin pain when you sit instead

Our hip pain when sitting guide.

Read: Hip pain when sitting →

A calf that becomes swollen, warm and painful after a long journey or a long sit

A possible clot: get a same-day check rather than exercising it.

Understand it

Why sitting can make a knee ache

Kneecap (patellofemoral) pain is pain around or behind the kneecap made worse by activities that load the knee while it's bent, such as squatting, stairs, running, hopping or jumping. Pain after sitting for a while with the knees bent, driving or at the cinema, is a typical feature, NHS inform and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) say, and a review notes that people with it often ask for an aisle seat so they can straighten the leg. The map above points to a likely cause; an examination decides.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4

Kneecap pain and the cinema signEmerging evidence

Of 458 people with kneecap pain, 249 (54.4%) reported problems with long sits, and another 121 (26.4%) pain when sitting after exercise. An international consensus statement lists pain on sitting, on rising after sitting, or on straightening the knee after sitting as a supporting sign rather than an essential one. Reviews call it the theatre or moviegoer sign, and an NHS trust leaflet "cinema goers' knee". No study has measured how accurate the sign is, and a review found no test for kneecap pain reliable on its own.

Sources 5, 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Who gets itEmerging evidence

In a review of 23 studies, 22.7% of the general population and 28.9% of adolescents reported kneecap pain over a year. In the 458-person study, those with sitting problems were younger, more often women, and had more pain overall. From mid-life, stiffness after sitting is more often arthritis (below).

Sources 11, 5

Stiffness after sitting from mid-life: arthritisStrong evidence

The NHS describes osteoarthritis as bringing increased pain and stiffness when you haven't moved your joints for a while, and NHS inform says the stiffness is often worse in the morning or after resting. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) diagnoses it without tests from age 45 in someone with activity-related joint pain and no morning stiffness, or stiffness lasting 30 minutes or less. In interviews with 12 people with knee arthritis, both too little and too much activity made the stiffness worse. No study has measured how long stiffness after sitting usually lasts.

Sources 12, 13, 14, 15

Pain behind the knee, and numbness after crossing your legsEmerging evidence

Pain behind the knee has many causes, from the hamstring and calf tendons to the back of the meniscus, a review says. A Baker's cyst is a fluid-filled swelling behind the knee; the NHS says a leg that suddenly becomes more painful or swollen, with warm or red skin, can mean it has burst, or a clot, and needs an urgent check. Crossing your legs, kneeling or squatting for long periods can injure the nerve that lifts the foot, the NHS says, causing foot drop.

Sources 16, 17, 18

Does sitting with bent knees harm them?Mixed evidence

The evidence is mixed, and none of it can show cause and effect. In a case-control study in Tehran of 480 people with knee arthritis, who were asked to recall a lifetime of daily activities, sitting on the floor and long standing weren't linked with knee arthritis, but long spells of squatting and cycling were. In 2,034 US adults followed for 10 years, more measured sitting time went with slightly fewer knee symptoms later, but knee symptoms also predicted sitting less later, and many of the links disappeared when people with other conditions were left out. A survey of 22,948 Korean adults over 50 found that more than 10 hours of sitting a day went with more long-term knee pain.

So these studies can't say whether sitting itself helps or harms the knee. For kneecap pain, an X-ray doesn't settle it either: in a 5 to 8 year follow-up, 48 of 50 people with lasting kneecap pain had no arthritis on X-ray. Sitting less is good for your general health, the NHS says, which is a reason to break up long sits whatever the knee research shows.

Sources 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Standing up from a chair: what small lab studies showEmerging evidence

Standing up loaded instrumented knee replacements in 5 people to 246% of body weight, a little less than walking (261%) and much less than going down stairs (346%). A review of lab studies found that a higher seat cut the effort at the knee by up to 60%, and armrests cut the effort at the hip by half; in 8 healthy young adults, seats between 10 and 40 cm high made little difference, and higher ones less effort. In 8 people with knee arthritis, lower seats needed more thigh muscle work to stand up.

From these small studies, our suggestion is a higher seat with armrests while the knee is sore, then practising from lower seats as you get stronger. This advice has never been tested as a treatment.

Sources 24, 25, 26, 27

Tests and scansStrong evidence

Kneecap pain is recognised from the history and examination. The best available test is pain at the front of the knee when you squat: the consensus statement says 80% of people with that pain have kneecap pain, though no test settles it on its own. NICE advises against routine imaging for knee arthritis in people over 45 with typical symptoms. An X-ray doesn't explain kneecap pain: in a long follow-up, almost everyone with lasting pain had no arthritis on X-ray. A knee that locks, gives way or has changed shape is different, and needs advice from NHS 111, the NHS says.

Sources 1, 10, 14, 22, 28

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

In 40 young women with kneecap pain, 85% were back to sport without pain a year after a 12-week programme, with no untreated group to compare. NHS inform suggests talking to a professional if kneecap pain hasn't improved within 6 weeks, and an NHS trust leaflet expects improvement over 3 to 6 months. But in a 5 to 8 year follow-up, 57% of those who replied still reported an unfavourable recovery, and pain for more than a year at the start predicted a slower one; only 19% replied, so the true figure is uncertain. NHS inform says most new knee problems begin to settle within 6 weeks. No one can promise a date.

Sources 29, 22, 2, 9, 30

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Exercise is the main treatment for kneecap painStrong evidence

Two international consensus statements and a US physiotherapy guideline make exercise, especially hip and knee exercises together, the core treatment for kneecap pain, to reduce pain in the short, medium and long term. A Cochrane review of 31 trials (1,690 people) found less pain during activity in the short term with exercise (1.46 points on a 0 to 10 scale, in 5 trials of 375 people) and better function, but the evidence was of very low quality, so the size of the benefit is uncertain.

Sources 31, 32, 33, 34

Education and a pain ruleEmerging evidence

In 40 young women, a 12-week programme of education, a pain-monitoring rule, gradually harder training and adjusted activity was followed by 85% playing sport without pain at 12 months; there was no untreated group. NHS inform's advice is to change the activities that bring the pain on: kneel less, take regular breaks, and reduce the time you sit still.

Sources 29, 2

Changing how you sit: expert advice, not testedEmerging evidence

No trial has tested breaks or chair set-up for knee pain, but the advice is consistent. NHS inform says reduce the time you sit still and take regular breaks. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises a seat that supports the front and back of the thighs with a 2 to 3 cm gap behind the knee, and short, frequent breaks, such as 5 to 10 minutes every hour. An NHS trust leaflet puts the gap at about two fingers' width; NHS leaflets past their review dates say change position every 20 to 30 minutes and avoid pressure behind the knee; and Arthritis UK says rest the knee, but avoid long periods of not moving at all. The 458-person sitting study ends by calling for treatments aimed at sitting pain to be tested.

Sources 2, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 5

Standing up more easily: our suggestion from small lab studiesEmerging evidence

The NHS's sit-to-stand technique is to sit on the edge of the chair, feet hip-width apart, lean slightly forward and stand up slowly using your legs; the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) version adds leaning forward from the hips with the chest up and pressing through the heels. Starting from a higher seat with armrests and lowering it as you get stronger is our suggestion from small lab studies, of 8 people or fewer, and a review of such studies. It hasn't been tested as a treatment.

Sources 41, 42, 25, 26, 27

Knee arthritis: exercise firstStrong evidence

NICE makes exercise the core treatment for knee arthritis, and says joint pain may rise when you start but regular exercise still helps. Across 139 trials of 12,468 people, exercise improved function by about 11 points out of 100 against a placebo or attention (moderate certainty) and pain by about 9 points (low certainty). NICE also recommends weight loss for people who are overweight, an anti-inflammatory gel for the knee, and steroid injections only for short-term relief (2 to 10 weeks), and advises against hyaluronic acid injections and keyhole washout.

Sources 14, 43

Insoles, tape and bracesMixed evidence

Foot orthoses (insoles) can give short-term relief from kneecap pain, the consensus statements say. The 2018 consensus calls the evidence on taping and braces uncertain. Exercise remains the main treatment.

Sources 32, 33

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

0 to 2 is safe, up to 5 is acceptable, and the morning is the testEmerging evidence

Rate your knee pain from 0 to 10 during and after exercise. In the pain-monitoring model used in knee trials, 0 to 2 counts as safe, up to 5 as acceptable and above 5 as too much, and by the next morning your knee should be back to its usual level. This is the knee hub's rule. In trials of long-lasting muscle and joint pain, exercising into some pain did no worse than pain-free exercise.

An NHS trust leaflet for kneecap pain sets a stricter limit: no more than 3 to 4 out of 10, easing within an hour and gone by the next day. NHS inform's kneecap exercises count 0 to 5 as acceptable.

Use the same rule for sitting (our suggestion): if a long sit pushes your knee above 5, or leaves it sore the next morning, sit for shorter spells and straighten your legs more often while the strength work builds.

With arthritis, NICE says joint pain may rise when you start exercising, and regular exercise still helps. Sharp, catching or giving-way pain, or new swelling, is a reason to stop and get it checked (our suggestion).

Sources 29, 44, 9, 45, 14

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: the hips and thigh in easy ranges, and break up the sits

About weeks 0 to 2, three days a week, with the thigh tightening little and often. Change how you sit first (the written steps below), then wake up the thigh and hip muscles in the ranges that load the kneecap least, as our runner's knee guide does.

Quad set (static quads) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoQuad set (static quads)Beginner · No equipment

Hold 10 s: 2 to 3 at a time, building to 8, 2 to 3 times a day · NHS inform's exercise for kneecap pain, with its pacing. You can also do it sitting, with the leg straight out on a footstool (our suggestion)

Harder: Straight-leg raise

Straight-leg raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStraight-leg raiseBeginner · No equipment

Hold 5 s at the top: 2 to 3 at a time, building to sets of 8, up to 2 sets of 15 · NHS inform's knee exercise, with its pacing, as in our front of knee pain guide

Easier: Quad set (static quads) · Harder: Leg extension

Seated knee extension (chair) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSeated knee extension (chair)Beginner · A bench or box + Something with weight

3 sets of 10 to 15 each leg, 2 to 3 days a week, from 90 to about 45 degrees if the kneecap hurts · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point; the bent-knee half of the range loads the kneecap least, as the move page says

Easier: Quad set (static quads) · Harder: Leg extension

3D demoClamshellBeginner · No equipment

3 sets of 12 to 15 each side · As in our runner's knee and front of knee pain guides (editorial). Lift only as far as the pelvis stays still, as the move page says

Easier: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press) · Harder: Lateral band walk

Glute bridge demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment

3 sets of 12 · As in our runner's knee guide (editorial)

Easier: Pelvic tilt into bridge · Harder: Single-leg glute bridge

Stationary cycling demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoStationary cyclingBeginner · Cardio machine

10 to 20 minutes, easy, with the seat high · As in our runner's knee guide (editorial). With arthritis, a recumbent bike works too

Easier: Recumbent exercise bike · Harder: Air bike intervals

Move on when: Sitting for 30 minutes no longer pushes the pain above 5, and the knee is back to its usual level by the next morning (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: standing strength, and practise standing up

About weeks 2 to 6, three days a week: strength through more of the bend, and standing up from a chair made easy.

Sit to stand from a chair demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSit to stand from a chairBeginner · A bench or box

3 sets of 8 to 12, from a higher seat at first, then a lower one · The NHS technique: edge of the seat, feet hip-width apart, lean slightly forward, stand slowly using your legs. The sets are our knee pain guide's; starting higher is our suggestion from small lab studies

Easier: Sit to stand, pushing on the thighs · Harder: Bodyweight squat

3D demoStep-upBeginner · A step

Lead with the sore leg onto a low step: build to 3 sets of 10 each leg, then a medium step · NHS inform's step-up for kneecap pain leads with the affected leg; the sets are our runner's knee guide's. Hold a rail while you learn it, as the move page says

Easier: Low step-up · Harder: Dumbbell step-up

Lateral band walk demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoLateral band walkBeginner · A band

3 sets of 12 steps each way · As in our runner's knee guide

Easier: Hip abduction machine · Harder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

3D demoWall sitBeginner · A wall

4 holds of 30 s, shallow · As in our runner's knee guide. Keep breathing, and with pain behind the kneecap keep the bend small, up to about 50 degrees, as the move page says

Easier: Straight-leg raise · Harder: Spanish squat (band squat hold)

Side-lying leg raise demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSide-lying leg raiseBeginner · No equipment

Lying on your good side with a pillow between your knees: 2 to 3 at a time, building to sets of 8, up to 2 sets of 15 · NHS inform's exercise for kneecap pain, with its pacing. Keep the leg slightly behind the line of your body; if the outside of your hip is already painful, this position can aggravate it, as the move page says

Easier: Lateral band walk · Harder: Lateral band walk, band at the feet

Move on when: Sit-to-stands from a normal chair and step-ups stay within the pain rule (our suggestion).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Strengthen, then long sits, stairs, floors and sport come back

From about week 6, two or three days a week: deeper, heavier strength, while longer sits, stairs, sitting on the floor and sport come back by the written steps below.

Split squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoSplit squatIntermediate · No equipment

3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg · As in our runner's knee guide. Pad the back knee and shorten the range rather than pushing through knee pain, as the move page says

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Reverse lunge

Patrick step-down demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoPatrick step-downIntermediate · A step

3 sets of 8 to 10 each leg · As in our runner's knee guide

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Skater squat

Dumbbell goblet squat demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell

3 sets of 8 to 10, deeper as you can · As in our runner's knee guide

Easier: Bodyweight squat · Harder: Barbell front squat

Get up and down from the floor demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoGet up and down from the floorBeginner · No equipment

5 to 8 slow cycles down and up, changing the leading leg · The move page's dose, an editorial starting point. After a knee replacement, check which positions are allowed with your surgeon or physiotherapist first, as the move page says; a cushion under the kneeling knee is our suggestion

Easier: Sit to stand from a chair · Harder: Bodyweight get-up

Treadmill walking demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTreadmill walkingBeginner · Cardio machine

Build to 20 to 30 minutes · As in our knee arthritis guide; walking outdoors counts. Runners: walk-jog on the flat first, as in our front of knee pain guide

Harder: Treadmill jogging

Move on when: Our suggestion: long sits, standing up, stairs and your sport stay within the pain rule. Keep two strength sessions a week.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

How to sit for now (written steps)

Our 3D figure can't show these changes. They come from NHS inform, the HSE, NHS trust and health board leaflets (two of them past their review dates), Arthritis UK and a review, unless marked as our suggestion. None has been tested as a treatment for knee pain.

1. Move often: change position every 20 to 30 minutes and reduce the time you sit still (NHS Fife; NHS inform). Straighten each knee a few times, or stand up, whenever you change position (our suggestion).
2. At a desk: set the seat so it supports the front and back of your thighs, with a 2 to 3 cm gap between the seat edge and the back of your knee, and take short, frequent breaks, such as 5 to 10 minutes every hour (the HSE).
3. Chair height: knees level with your hips or slightly lower, with no pressure behind the knee (NHS Fife; Bradford Teaching Hospitals). A cushion (the HSE) or a footstool (Cambridge University Hospitals) can help the seat fit.
4. At the cinema, theatre or on a plane: take an aisle seat so you can stretch your leg out (a review notes people with kneecap pain often ask for one).
5. In the car: set the seat so your knees are slightly bent with the pedals pressed fully, and take a break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours (Bradford Teaching Hospitals).
6. On the floor: sit cross-legged or back on your heels for short spells, and stop if it causes pain behind the knee or numbness in the foot (our suggestion).
7. Rest the knee if you need to, but avoid long periods where you don't move at all (Arthritis UK).

Sources 2, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 4, 40

Standing up, and long journeys (written steps)

The sit-to-stand technique is the NHS's. The seat height advice is our suggestion from small lab studies, not a tested treatment.

1. Standing up: shuffle to the edge of the seat, feet hip-width apart, lean slightly forward and stand slowly using your legs (the NHS); lean from the hips with your chest up and press through your heels (the CSP).
2. While it's sore: choose a higher, firmer seat with armrests and push on them (our suggestion from lab studies), then lower the seat as the plan builds your strength.
3. Journeys of 4 hours or more: wear loose clothing, drink water, avoid alcohol and get up and walk about every hour or so, to lower the risk of a clot (the NHS).
4. When you can't get up: the NHS's seated ankle stretches help lower the risk of a clot.

Sources 41, 42, 25, 46, 47

Long sits, stairs, floors and sport come back (written steps)

No trial has tested how to bring these back after knee pain when sitting. These steps are our suggestion unless a source is named.

1. Long sits: add 10 to 15 minutes at a time while the knee stays within the pain rule.
2. Stairs: one step at a time with the rail, good leg first going up and sore leg first coming down, then step over step once step-downs are comfortable.
3. The floor: kneel on a cushion and practise getting down and up, then build up the time you sit on the floor.
4. Running: walk-jog on the flat first, starting once 30 minutes of fast walking is pain-free (an NHS sports medicine service's programme).
5. If it hasn't improved within 6 weeks, or it's getting worse, see a GP or physiotherapist; in many areas you can refer yourself (NHS inform).

Sources 2, 48

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Long sits with your knees bent	Pain after sitting with the knees bent is typical of kneecap pain, and NHS inform advises reducing the time you sit still.	Straighten your legs or stand up every 20 to 30 minutes, and tighten your thigh muscle with the leg out straight.Try: Quad set (static quads)
A seat edge pressing into the back of your knee	Seating advice is a 2 to 3 cm gap, about two fingers' width, with no pressure behind the knee.	Adjust the seat height or depth; a cushion or a footstool can help.
Low, soft sofas and chairs you sink into	In small lab studies, standing up from a lower seat took more effort at the knee and more thigh muscle work.	A firmer, higher seat with armrests while it's sore.Try: Sit to stand from a chair
Sitting cross-legged, back on your heels or with your legs crossed for a long time	Deep bending can provoke pain behind the knee, and the NHS says crossing your legs or kneeling for long periods can injure the nerve that lifts the foot.	Short spells, uncrossing often, and standing up to move.
Deep squat holds in the first weeks	The move page asks for knees that are comfortable bending fully, and our runner's knee guide starts with shallow squats.	Sit-to-stands from a chair, deeper over the weeks.Try: Sit to stand from a chair
The couch stretch and other deep knee-bend stretches	The move page says skip it with knee problems.	The side-lying quad stretch, easing off if the knee pinches, as its move page says.Try: Side-lying quad stretch with a strap
Long flights, train or car journeys without moving	A journey of over 4 hours raises the risk of a clot, the NHS says.	Get up and walk about every hour or so, and move your ankles when you can't.Try: Ankle circles
Standing for long with your knees locked back	An NHS trust leaflet for kneecap pain advises against it.	Keep your knees slightly soft.
A knee brace or sleeve as the treatment	The 2018 consensus calls the evidence on braces uncertain, and exercise is the main treatment.	Hip and knee strength.Try: Lateral band walk

Routines to follow

Knee strengthening workout: from first steps to full range

A 25-minute session for knees that don't currently hurt: thigh and hamstring strength, single-leg control, then an optional full-range block with knees over toes.

25 minBeginner13 movesA bench or box, A wall

3-minute desk movement break

A 3-minute standing break to repeat every 30 to 60 minutes at your desk: sit-to-stands, calf raises, marching, an upper-back turn and chin tucks.

3 minBeginner5 movesA bench or box, A wall

Low-impact leg workout (no jumping)

A gentle leg strength routine with no jumping: sit-to-stands, step-ups, wall sits, bridges and calf raises.

20 minBeginner7 movesA bench or box, A step

Arthritis exercise routine: a joint-friendly circuit

A 30-minute joint-friendly circuit built like the GLA:D and ESCAPE-pain programmes: a gentle warm-up, chair, step and band strength moves, balance, then stretches.

30 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, A step

Knee control warm-up

A 20-minute warm-up that trains your knees to track over your toes: side-hip strength, squats and lunges with alignment practice, balance and quiet landings.

20 minBeginner10 movesA wall, A band

Chair exercises for seniors: a seated workout

A 20-minute seated workout for older adults who cannot stand for long: marching, leg and arm strength, posture, and sit-to-stands that lead back to standing.

20 minBeginner11 movesA bench or box, Something with weight

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Why does my knee hurt when I sit for a long time?

An ache around or behind the kneecap after sitting with your knees bent is a classic sign of kneecap (patellofemoral) pain, and more than half of people with it have trouble with long sits. Holding the knee bent, at the cinema or on a plane, aggravates it, which is why people with it often ask for an aisle seat. Straightening the leg and getting up to walk about often help.

Why does my knee hurt when I stand up after sitting?

Pain on rising from a chair is one of the features of kneecap pain, and stiffness for the first few steps after sitting is typical of knee arthritis. Sit on the edge of the chair, feet hip-width apart, lean slightly forward and stand slowly using your legs. A higher seat with armrests may make it easier while you build strength, though that advice comes from small lab studies.

Is sitting with my knees bent bad for them?

Nobody knows for sure. In one study, sitting on the floor wasn't linked with knee arthritis; in another, people who sat more had slightly fewer knee symptoms later; and a large survey linked more than 10 hours of sitting a day with knee pain. None of these can show cause and effect, but long sits can bring on kneecap pain, and sitting less is good for your general health, so it's worth breaking them up.

Why does my knee hurt when I sit cross-legged or on my heels?

Deep bending squeezes the back of the knee, so a Baker's cyst or the back of the meniscus can hurt. Crossing your legs, kneeling or squatting for long periods can also press on the nerve at the outer knee, causing numbness or a foot that catches. Sit like this for short spells, and uncross and stretch out often.

Why does the back of my knee hurt when I sit?

Pain or fullness behind the knee when it's bent can come from a Baker's cyst, the hamstring or calf tendons, or the back of the meniscus. If the leg suddenly becomes more painful or swollen, with warm or red skin, ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 the same day, because a cyst can burst or it could be a clot. Our pain behind the knee guide covers the rest.

Why do my knees hurt after driving?

Driving keeps your knees bent and still, a known trigger for kneecap pain. Set the seat so your knees are slightly bent when the pedals are pressed fully, without pressure behind the knee, and take a break of at least 15 minutes every 2 hours. On long journeys, getting out and walking about also lowers the risk of a clot.

How should I sit at a desk with knee pain?

Set the seat so it supports the front and back of your thighs, with a 2 to 3 cm gap between the seat edge and the back of your knee. Change position every 20 to 30 minutes, stretch your legs out under the desk, and take short, frequent breaks, such as 5 to 10 minutes every hour. A standing break counts.

Why are my knees stiff after sitting?

From mid-life, stiffness after sitting that eases after a few steps is typical of knee osteoarthritis. Morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes, or swelling in several joints, should be checked by a GP. Moving regularly and strengthening your thighs help, even if the pain rises a little when you start.

Why does my knee hurt when I sit but not when I walk?

Kneecap pain is typically brought on by sitting with the knees bent, squatting, kneeling and stairs, more than by walking on the flat. The plan's strength work builds up to those positions, and exercise is the recommended treatment for kneecap pain.

What exercises help knee pain when sitting?

Hip and knee strengthening together, as recommended for kneecap pain: bridges, clams, straight-leg raises, step-ups and sit-to-stands. For arthritis, exercise is the main treatment too. The plan on this page builds them in stages, with a 3D demo of every move.

When should I worry about knee pain when sitting?

Get advice from NHS 111 now if your knee is very painful, you can't move it or put weight on it, it's badly swollen or has changed shape, it locks, gives way or painfully clicks, or it's hot and red with a very high temperature. One swollen, throbbing calf after a long sit or journey needs an urgent GP appointment or NHS 111. See a GP if it hasn't improved within a few weeks.

Related exercise guides

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.