If knee osteoarthritis leaves your knee stiff and stairs feel hard, NHS inform says exercise to get movement and strength back helps. The NHS 24 health site for Scotland sets out 10 exercises, with videos, suitable for people diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee: five done lying or sitting, plus bridging, sit to stand, step up, a single leg stand (up to 20 seconds) and a backwards lunge. Keep pain within 0 to 5 out of 10, build to at most 2 sets of 15, hold stretches 20 to 30 seconds, and get advice if not better within 6 weeks. Here it is as written.
1. Five lying or seated (holds of 2, 10, 10 and 5 seconds; stretch up to 10) + five standing — single leg stand next to a support, up to 20 seconds.
2. Start at 2 to 3; 2 sets of 8 two to three times a day; at most 2 sets of 15. Stretches 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day.
3. Pain within 0 to 5; stop if worse or new pain; get advice if not better within 6 weeks.
First — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who for | The exercises in these videos suit people diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee; a separate page covers general knee problems | Diagnosis is for a clinician, not self-labelling (our gloss) |
| Why | Getting movement and strength back matters: it supports tissue healing and gets you moving. You may not return to usual levels at once and progress may be slow, but a gradual return to normal activities gives the best short- and long-term results | — |
| At first | Listen to your pain, especially early on. Symptoms may increase slightly at first but should get easier; with regular practice movement can improve. If it causes discomfort, prescribed medication from your GP or pharmacist may help you keep exercising | — |
| Safety | In a safe environment and only if you feel well enough; stop at once if you feel unwell. First time? Read the guidance on pain and repetitions first | — |
10 knee osteoarthritis exercises — NHS inform
| Exercise | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lying knee bend (0:22) | Lying down (a bed is fine). With both knees straight, slowly bend the sore leg by sliding the foot towards you as far as is comfortable. Hold 2 seconds, then straighten. Bend and straighten = 1 repetition | — |
| 2. Static quad strengthening (0:20) | Lying down. Tighten the thigh muscle and gently push the back of the knee into the bed. Hold 10 seconds, then relax | The page calls one repetition “lifting and holding your leg once” (as written) |
| 3. Supported leg raise (0:13) | Lying down. Put a rolled-up yoga mat or blanket under the knees, push the knee into the roll and straighten it as much as is comfortable. Hold 10 seconds, then relax | — |
| 4. Lying leg raise (0:15) | Lying down. One leg straight, the other bent; slowly lift the straight leg. Hold 5 seconds, then lower | — |
| 5. Seated knee extension stretch (0:16) | Sitting, with another chair facing you. Put your foot on it, push gently down and straighten the knee as much as is comfortable. Hold up to 10 seconds, release, repeat | Labelled a stretch: see the 20 to 30 seconds guidance below |
| 6. Bridging (0:25) | Lying on your back, arms by your sides, knees pointing to the ceiling. Using your arms, slowly push your hips up, hold a few seconds, lower slowly. Up and down = 1 repetition | “A few seconds” is all the page says |
| 7. Sit to stand (0:19) | Start standing with a chair behind you. Slowly bend the knees until you touch the seat, without sitting down completely; arms forward for balance if needed. Stand back up = 1 repetition | Put the chair against a wall so it can’t slide (our gloss) |
| 8. Step Up (0:33) | Stand at the base of a step, such as the bottom stair. Step up leading with the affected leg; keep it on the step and slowly step up and down with the other leg | Somewhere with a rail to hold (our gloss) |
| 9. Single Leg stand (0:33) | Stand next to a support such as a kitchen worktop or chair. Stand on the affected leg, lift the other, keep your balance a few seconds; as it gets easier, hold longer, up to 20 seconds | — |
| 10. Backwards Lunge (0:33) | From standing, step back with the affected leg, bending both knees, toes of the back foot on the floor, then return. Only as far as feels comfortable | — |
Names and lengths are the video titles as shown. All 10 videos together run 3 min 49 s (our sum). Exercises 1 to 5 are the same as in knee exercises for knee problems; 6 to 10 are the additions on the osteoarthritis page (our summary).
How much pain is OK — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Pain score | Rate pain out of 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = the worst you have ever had). 0 to 3 minimal, 4 to 5 acceptable, 6 to 10 excessive | — |
| During exercise | Keep pain within 0 to 5. If it goes above: fewer repetitions, a slower movement, or more rest between movements | Changing one of the three may be enough (our reading) |
| After exercise | Exercise should not make your existing knee pain worse overall. New exercises can cause short-term muscle pain while the body adapts, but it should ease quickly and be no worse the morning after | The next morning is the test |
How many and how often — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Adding them | Add exercises to your routine gradually. You can do them all together or start with one or two and add more | — |
| Starting | Start new exercises at 2 to 3 repetitions at a time; small amounts through the day are better, e.g. every hour | — |
| Building up | As it gets easier, add 1 or 2 repetitions every few days | — |
| Sets | As you can do more, break them into sets: more at a time, less often. This builds strength. E.g. 8 repetitions, rest a minute, 8 more, 2 to 3 times a day | 32 to 48 a day (8 x 2 sets x 2 to 3, our sum) |
| Ceiling | Aim for a maximum of 2 sets of 15 | 30 at a time (our sum) |
Stretching exercises — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Holding longer | Some videos are labelled stretches. Once a short hold is comfortable, hold longer as a stretch; over time this can improve range of movement | Exercise 5 in the table (our reading) |
| Feel | A gentle stretch, not sore or uncomfortable | — |
| Time and sets | Hold 20 to 30 seconds if possible; 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day | 40 to 90 seconds at a time (our sum) |
When to stop and get advice — NHS inform
| Type | What NHS inform says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| When to stop | Stop if they make symptoms worse or cause new pain | — |
| Get advice | If your knee pain worsens while following this advice, talk to a healthcare professional | In Korea, orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine (our gloss) |
| 6 weeks | If it hasn’t improved within 6 weeks, talk to a healthcare professional | 6 weeks = 42 days (our sum) |
Checklist
- ☐ Diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis? If not, start with the general knee exercises
- ☐ Lying exercises on the bed; standing ones next to a chair, worktop or rail
- ☐ Sit to stand: just touch the chair, don’t sit down
- ☐ Start at 2 to 3; 8, rest a minute, 8, two to three times a day; at most 2 sets of 15
- ☐ Stretches 20 to 30 seconds, pain 0 to 5, advice if not better in 6 weeks
Questions that remain
Won’t exercise wear an arthritic knee out faster?
The page says the exercises may increase symptoms slightly at first but should get easier, and with regular practice can improve movement. They should not make existing pain worse overall, and you should be no worse the next morning. It says nothing more about joint damage.
How long is “a few seconds”?
For bridging and the start of the single leg stand the page only says “a few seconds”; the single leg stand builds up to 20 seconds.
Sources
- NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland) — Exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee — source (no update date shown; checked 2 November 2026). Who for, why, at first, safety; 10 video titles and lengths; 10 written instructions; the 0 to 10 and 0 to 5 pain guide; pain after exercise; 2 to 3, hourly, 1 or 2 more every few days; the set example (8, a minute, 8, 2 to 3 times a day); at most 2 sets of 15; stretches of 20 to 30 seconds, 2 to 3 sets, 2 to 3 times a day; when to stop; 6 weeks.
- Not read. The videos themselves, the self-management page for knee problems (link only), the knee osteoarthritis condition page.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column, our sums (3 min 49 s, 32 to 48 a day, 40 to 90 seconds, 42 days) and the Korean care gloss.
Where to check further
- Orthopaedics or rehabilitation medicine — if it’s no better after 6 weeks, or worse.
- Physiotherapy — adjusting the moves and repetitions.
Written on 2 November 2026. The content is from NHS inform; the glosses are ours.
