Home exercise for knee pain: session one
Watch the introductory Appetit videos free of charge. Dr. Jalil Emad has reviewed and approved these videos.
Appetit education · approved by Dr. Jalil Emad
This video is the starting point of the home exercise programme for knee pain. It runs about three minutes: the coach explains each movement, then demonstrates it on someone. Before anything heavier, these basic movements are what bring the muscles around the knee back and take the load off the joint.
🎯 Who is this video for?
- Anyone whose kneecap hurts on stairs or when getting up from a chair.
- Anyone who sits at a desk for hours and whose knee stiffens after long sitting.
- Anyone who has given up running or the gym because the knee will not allow it.
- Anyone whose doctor has prescribed strengthening work and who wants to start correctly.
If your knee has just been operated on, this video is not for you: the post-operative programme is separate and should come from your own surgeon.
This is the first knee video in the series. The movements are deliberately simple and low-load so the body makes peace with training; later sessions build on this base. Beyond a mat and a low step or a firm chair, you need no equipment.
📚 The written guide for this video
Read the full guide to pain at the front of the knee: which movement suits your symptoms, how much and how often to do it, and when to stop:
📝 Short summary
The opening session of the home knee programme, about three minutes long. It starts on the floor, sitting with the leg out straight and tightening the front thigh muscle, then moves on to sitting down and standing up from a raised surface and stepping up and down from a low step. The coach demonstrates each movement on someone and gives the cues for doing it correctly. Training should stay free of sharp pain; if a movement makes the pain worse, stop it there. This video does not replace an examination and a diagnosis.
If the knee locks, swells, or the pain started after an injury, get it examined before doing any exercise.
