One of the worst feelings that can pop up in the middle of a run or race is a twinge of knee pain. And it’s a pretty common occurrence for runners: The knee is the most common area of injury for us mile chasers, according to research published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science in 2021.

Knee pain from running is so common, there’s even an injury called runner’s knee, which is more technically known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. As Runner’s World has previously reported, this isn’t a structural injury, but one that’s caused by mechanics that are a little off, often caused by muscle weakness around the legs and core.**

To treat and prevent injury at this joint, the National Institutes of Health reports regularly doing exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee. That’s why we rounded up these runner’s knee exercises so you can build strength and stability, stave off fatigue, and keep running with strong form and solid mechanics.

“Muscles around the knees need to be strong to support the knees,” Simone Tchouke, a NASM-certified personal trainer, tells Runner’s World.** “So glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quadriceps play a very important role in preventing knee injuries and pain.”

To that end, Tchouke created the following series of runner’s knee exercises. Add them to your regular strength routine to keep your knees healthy on the run.

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Watch the Circuit

How to use this list: Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps of each exercise, with the goal of the last rep or two feeling truly difficult. Rest as needed between exercises and sets.

You will need a set of light dumbbells and access to a box, step, or bench. Each move is demonstrated by Tchouke in the video above so you can learn the proper form.

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The Moves

1. Step-Up With Knee Drive

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart in front of and facing a step, box, or bench. Hold a dumbbell in the right hand, hands at sides.
2. Step up with right foot onto box, then drive the left knee up toward the chest so hip and knee form a 90-degree angle.
3. Step back down.
4. Repeat for reps.
5. Then switch sides.

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2. Single-Leg Box Step-Down

1. Stand with left foot firmly on a step, box, or bench, and right foot off side edge, arms straight out in front of you and held at shoulder height.
2. Bend left knee and lower right foot straight down off side of box and onto the floor.
3. Then, without using right foot to push off the ground, stand up again by pushing left foot into the box and extending left leg. (Pausing at the bottom and regaining balance can help you focus on activating the standing leg and eliminating momentum.)
4. Repeat for reps.
5. Then switch sides.

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3. Forward Lunge

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, hold a dumbbell in right hand, hands at sides.
2. Step forward with right foot while keeping left foot in place. Bend both knees 90 degrees. Front right knee should track over toes (don’t let it fall too far forward or toward the inside of the toes); back left knee hovering just above the floor. Keep core engaged and chest lifted.
3. Push off through right heel and step back to standing.
4. Repeat for reps.
5. Then switch sides.

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4. Prone Leg Curl With Dumbbell

1. Lie facedown, legs straight, elbows bent, and head resting on hands. Hold a single dumbbell vertically between both feet, keeping them flexed.
2. Engage glutes to activate legs (a crucial step) and bend both knees and pull heels toward glutes, squeezing glutes and hamstrings the entire time. Pause for a moment at the top.
3. Then slowly lower feet back down, while still engaging glutes and hamstrings.
4. Repeat.

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5. Forearm Side Plank With Clamshell****

1. Lie on left side with left forearm on the ground and right hand on right hip. Bend both knees 90 degrees with hips about 45 degrees. Stack hips, knees, and feet on top of each other.
2. Lift hips as high as possible without bending at waist, and keeping bottom knee on ground, creating a straight line from shoulders to hips for a modified side plank.
3. Open right knee, rotating through the right hip to lift knee toward ceiling. Glutes should engage.
4. Lower leg, but stay in plank position.
5. Repeat for reps.
6. Then switch sides.

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Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She’s a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women’s Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.

John Vasudevan, M.D. is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine. He is a Team Physician for UPenn Athletics and medical director of the Broad Street Run and Philadelphia Distance Run, and previously for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-Marathon and Tri-Rock Triathlon in Philadelphia. He is a director of the running and endurance Sports Medicine Program at Penn Medicine. Dr. Vasudevan provides non-operative management of musculoskeletal conditions affecting athletes and active individuals of all levels, and combines injury rehabilitation with injury prevention. He utilizes a variety of ultrasound-guided procedures and regenerative approaches such as platelet-rich plasma and percutaneous ultrasonic tenotomy. He sees patients at the Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital. Dr. Vasudevan attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. After his Transitional Year in Tucson, Arizona, he went to residency in PM&R at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and onwards to Stanford University for his fellowship in Sports Medicine. He has been in practice at the University of Pennsylvania since 2012.