Expert-Recommended
Forget deep squats. These five morning moves will rebuild strength and protect your knees.
Squats are a classic lower body exercise that unquestionably builds lower body strength. But if you’re over 60 and your knees ache in the morning, you struggle with stairs, or worry about injuring yourself in a deep squat, doing traditional squats probably isn’t the best idea. After 60, your goal should be to rebuild the muscles that support and stabilize your knees. Fortunately, you can do that without ever dropping into a full squat.
Research shows that your knees are only as strong as the muscles around them, particularly your quads on the front of your thigh. When these muscles weaken with age, the joint loses support, and common daily movements like walking, standing, and climbing stairs start to feel harder and harder. The good news is that these muscles respond fast to gentle, targeted work, and you don’t need to stress your knee joints to strengthen them.
If you’re unsure how to get started, ETNT is here to help. We spoke with James Brady, CPT, a certified personal trainer at OriGym, who shares his top five morning exercises designed specifically to help rebuild knee strength while keeping the demand on the joint itself low. Most of them can be done from a seated or lying position, none require a deep knee bend, and each one targets the muscles most responsible for keeping your knees strong and stable.
Read on for the exercises and detailed step-by-step instructions. When you’re finished, don’t miss If You Can Do These 5 Balance Exercises After 55, You’re in Good Shape.
Quad Contractions
There’s no bending involved with quad contractions, which makes this an excellent kickoff exercise if your joints feel stiff when you wake up. “It teaches your quads to activate and hold, building strength without asking your knees to move through any range of motion,” Brady explains.
How to do it:
- Sit or lie down with one leg straight out in front of you.
- Tighten the muscles at the front of that thigh.
- Press the back of your knee gently down toward the floor.
- Hold the contraction for a 3 to 5 seconds.
- Relax, then repeat before switching legs.
- Perform two to three sets of 10 contractions per leg.
- Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
Straight Leg Raises
Since your knees remain straight throughout this exercise, your thigh muscles are forced to do the work while your knee joint stays protected. “This is a simple progression from the contraction, adding light load without adding strain,” says Brady.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight.
- Tighten the thigh of the straight leg.
- Slowly lift that leg to about the height of the bent knee.
- Lower it back down with control.
- Complete all reps, then switch legs.
- Aim for two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.
- Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
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Supported Knee Extensions
Placing a rolled towel under the knee shifts the focus more directly onto the quadriceps, specifically the muscles responsible for straightening and stabilizing the joint. The towel gives the knee something to work against while keeping it supported the whole time. This one targets the exact muscles that help lock out and steady the knee when you stand and walk.
How to do it:
- Lie down with a rolled towel positioned under one knee.
- Keep your knee resting on the towel during the entire movement.
- Straighten your leg by lifting your heel off the floor.
- Pause for one to two seconds with your leg straight.
- Lower your heel with control, then switch sides.
- Complete two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.
- Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
Seated Knee Extensions
Seated knee extensions are a stellar movement for building strong quads, which are involved in walking, standing, and climbing stairs. “Doing this movement seated keeps you stable and takes any balance demand out of the equation,” says Brady.
How to do it:
- Sit upright in a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Slowly straighten one leg until it’s almost level with the floor.
- Pause for one to two seconds at the top of the movement.
- Lower your leg with control.
- Repeat for the full set, then switch legs.
- Perform two to three sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.
- Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
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Step-ups
This morning routine finishes off with a move that combines knee strength with a pattern you use constantly in daily life: stepping up. “It works the thighs and glutes while also challenging your balance and the control around the knee,” explains Brady.
How to do it:
- Stand in front of a low, stable step, holding a handrail or sturdy support.
- Place one whole foot on the step.
- Push through that leg to bring yourself up onto the step.
- Slowly return your trailing foot to the floor with control.
- Complete all reps on one leg before switching sides.
- Aim for two to three sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg.
- Rest for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
DATE . 8/Sep/2026