When an ankle or knee hurts, it’s hard to know whether to exercise and how much. NHS inform, NHS Scotland’s health information site, sets out rules for exercising with joint and muscle pain: score pain from 0 (none) to 10 (worst) and keep it within 0 to 5; start new exercises with 2 to 3 repetitions, add 1 or 2 every few days if you feel able, and over time aim for a maximum of 2 sets of 15. Hold stretches for 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day. Enter where you start and how often you add, and the planner counts the days to 15.
1. Keep pain during exercise at 0 to 5 out of 10 — and no worse the next morning.
2. Start at 2 to 3 reps, add 1 or 2 every few days, up to 2 sets of 15 — little and often, e.g. every hour.
3. Stretches 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day — starting at 2 and adding 1 every 3 days reaches 15 in 39 days (our sum).
Planner
Updates as you type. NHS inform: start with 2–3 reps, add 1 or 2 every few days if you feel able, aim over time for a maximum of 2 sets of 15, and keep pain within 0–5 out of 10. “Every few days” is a number you choose; the day count is our sum.
The rules — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain you’ve had) and keep it within 0 to 5 | Ease off at 6 or more (ours) |
| Starting | New exercises at 2 to 3 repetitions | — |
| Building up | Add 1 or 2 every few days if you feel able | “Few” isn’t a number |
| Spreading | Small amounts through the day — e.g. some every hour | — |
| Target | Over time, a maximum of 2 sets of 15 | Nothing said beyond that |
| Stretches | Hold 20 to 30 seconds if possible, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day; gentle, not sore | — |
When to stop and when to get advice — NHS inform
- Exercise somewhere safe, only when you feel well enough, and stop at once if you start to feel unwell.
- Muscle soreness from new exercise should ease quickly, and pain should be no worse the morning after.
- Stop if exercises make symptoms worse or cause new pain.
- If pain worsens while following the advice, speak to a healthcare professional; if discomfort stops you exercising, medicine from your GP or pharmacist may help.
Three sums — our example
| How you build (our example) | To 15 reps | Worth noting (our sum) |
|---|---|---|
| Start at 2, add 1 every 3 days | 39 days | 13 increases |
| Start at 3, add 2 every 3 days | 18 days | 6 increases |
| Start at 2, add 2 every 4 days | 28 days | 7 increases, the last only 1 |
NHS inform doesn’t put a number on “every few days”; the 3 and 4 days above are our picks, and not building up on days when pain passes 5 fits the rule. We took these rules from NHS inform’s ankle pain exercises; the ankle movements themselves are on video, so they aren’t described here.
Pain from running is in running injuries; how much strength work is in how much strength exercise.
Checklist
- ☐ Pain during exercise 0 to 5
- ☐ No worse the next morning
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3, add 1 or 2 every few days
- ☐ Up to 2 sets of 15; stretches 20 to 30 seconds
- ☐ New or worse pain: stop and get advice
Questions that remain
Can I go past 2 sets of 15 once it’s easy?
The page sets 2 sets of 15 as a “maximum” aim and says nothing about what comes next.
Right after an injury?
The advice is to exercise only when you feel well enough; first aid for a fresh injury isn’t covered.
Sources
- NHS — inform (Scotland) — Exercises for ankle pain — source (page shows: no update date shown; checked 21 October 2026). Pain scale 0 to 10 and the 0 to 5 range, starting at 2 to 3 reps, adding 1 or 2 every few days, spreading through the day, a maximum of 2 sets of 15, stretches 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day, when to stop and get advice.
- Not read. The ankle videos; other body-area pages.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the day counts.
Where to check further
- Rehabilitation, orthopaedics or physiotherapy — if pain persists or worsens.
Written on 21 October 2026. The content is from the NHS; the glosses are ours.
