If you’re like many of the folks we work with at Elite Muscle Recovery, staying active is a priority—but sometimes, stiff or uncomfortable knees can get in the way. Whether you’re walking up stairs, squatting down to garden, or playing with your kids or grandkids, healthy knee mobility plays a big role in how confidently you move.

In this post, I’m sharing five of my go-to knee mobility exercises that can help support smoother, more confident movement every day. These exercises are approachable, effective, and easy to add into your daily or weekly routine—especially if you’re looking to support knee comfort naturally, without relying on quick fixes.

1. Knee Mobility Exercises: Heel Slides

Heel slides are a great place to start when working on knee mobility exercises. They help encourage gentle flexion and extension, which can be beneficial after periods of inactivity or stiffness.

How to Do It:

• Sit or lie on your back with both legs extended.
• Slowly slide one heel along the floor toward your hips, bending your knee.
• Pause, then slide it back to the starting position.
• Repeat 10–15 times on each side.

Why It Helps: Heel slides help reintroduce range of motion without putting too much pressure on the joint. They’re ideal after travel, extended sitting, or just to get things moving.

2. Knee Mobility Exercises: Seated Leg Extensions

If you’ve been experiencing tightness around your knee or a general sense of tension when walking or climbing stairs, seated leg extensions are a practical and accessible knee mobility exercise.

How to Do It:

• Sit on a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor.
• Straighten one leg out in front of you, pausing briefly at the top.
• Slowly return your foot to the floor.
• Repeat 10–15 times on each leg.

Why It Helps: This exercise strengthens the muscles surrounding the knee, especially the quadriceps, which play a crucial role in stabilizing the joint during movement.

3. Knee Mobility Exercises: Standing Knee Marches

Standing knee marches are a simple yet powerful way to incorporate dynamic movement into your routine while gently challenging knee range of motion and control.

How to Do It:

• Stand upright with hands on a counter or chair for support.
• Slowly lift one knee as high as comfortable, like a marching motion.
• Lower your leg with control and switch sides.
• Repeat 10–12 reps per leg.

Why It Helps: This functional knee mobility exercise also engages your core and balance, helping you build better coordination and confidence with each step you take.

4. Knee Mobility Exercises: Calf Stretch Against Wall

Tight calf muscles can pull on the structures around the knee, limiting your ability to fully straighten or bend the joint. A wall-based calf stretch is one of my favorite complementary knee mobility exercises.

How to Do It:

• Stand facing a wall with one foot forward and the other foot back.
• Keep both feet flat and gently lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in your back leg’s calf.
• Hold for 20–30 seconds and switch sides.

Why It Helps: Better ankle mobility and looser calf muscles can reduce strain on the knee during walking, stairs, and standing activities.

5. Knee Mobility Exercises: Step-Ups with Control

One of the best ways to support knee strength and mobility is with functional movement—step-ups mimic daily tasks like stairs or curbs. The key is doing them slowly and with good control.

How to Do It:

• Use a low step or stair. Place one foot fully on the step.
• Press through the heel and step up, then slowly return to start.
• Repeat 8–10 reps per leg.

Why It Helps: Step-ups are a dynamic knee mobility exercise that train both strength and control, which can be essential for daily movement and independence.

How to Incorporate Knee Mobility Exercises into Your Routine

These knee mobility exercises can be performed as part of a warm-up, cool-down, or dedicated mobility session a few times per week. Remember, consistency is key. If you’re new to these movements, start slow and focus on proper technique before increasing volume or intensity.

Movement should never feel forced. If something doesn’t feel quite right, pause and reach out for guidance. That’s what we’re here for.

Want a Personalized Plan? Book a Free Discovery Visit

If you’re looking to move with greater ease, feel stronger on your feet, or finally take action on mobility issues you’ve been putting off, I’d love to meet you.

At Elite Muscle Recovery, we offer free discovery visits to help you explore what’s possible with personalized care and expert support. Whether you’ve tried a few stretches before or this is your first step toward better knee mobility, we’ll help guide the way.

Call us at (423) 228-8120 or click here to book your free visit today.

Here’s to moving better, every day.

More Free Resources:

Download our free report – Knee Pain Chattanooga, TN – Elite Muscle Recovery

Read our blog – The Connection Between Hip & Knee Pain – Elite Muscle Recovery

See what our clients are saying – Client Testimonials – Elite Muscle Recovery