Should I stop exercising if my knee hurts?

Not always. With osteoarthritis, NICE says pain may increase at first. Stop and get advice if the pain is sharp, the knee swells, or it keeps getting worse.

Are squats bad for your knees?

Strengthening around the knee is recommended for osteoarthritis. Start with a range and height that you can manage and build up.

Strength training with knee pain

Updated 29 October 2026

If your knee pain is from osteoarthritis, strength training is part of the treatment, not something to avoid. NICE recommends tailored exercise, such as local muscle strengthening, for everyone with osteoarthritis, and says pain may go up a little when you start. Get new, sudden or swollen knee pain checked by your GP before you train.

What the guidance says

NICE guideline NG226 says to offer therapeutic exercise tailored to the person, for example local muscle strengthening and general aerobic fitness, to all people with osteoarthritis.
It also says people should be told that joint pain may increase when they first start, and that sticking with exercise over the long term brings more benefit.
Knee pain has many causes. The NHS says to get advice from 111 straight away if your knee is very painful, badly swollen, you cannot put weight on it, or it locks or gives way, and to see a GP if pain does not improve within a few weeks.

Starting gently

Start with a range you can manage
Sit-to-stand from a higher chair, or a shallow squat holding a counter, is a common start.
Strengthen around the knee
Thigh and hip exercises, such as sit-to-stands, step-ups onto a low step and bridges, are usual starting points. A physiotherapist can tailor them.
Expect a little more ache at first
NICE notes that joint pain may go up a little when you start. Pain that is sharp, or keeps getting worse, means back off and ask your GP or a physiotherapist.
Build slowly
Add reps, then height or load, over weeks.

The home strength test can show progress, but skip the chair stand and stair carry if they hurt your knee, and talk to your GP or physiotherapist.

Know your starting point: work out your daily protein with the protein calculator and check your strength with the home strength test.

Questions people also ask

Should I stop exercising if my knee hurts?: Not always. With osteoarthritis, NICE says pain may increase at first. Stop and get advice if the pain is sharp, the knee swells, or it keeps getting worse.
Are squats bad for your knees?: Strengthening around the knee is recommended for osteoarthritis. Start with a range and height that you can manage and build up.

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Sources

Ojafi gives general food and exercise guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose or treat any condition. See our medical disclaimer.