Last updated: July 2026
Yoga for knee pain can be incredibly effective, addressing the muscular imbalances that cause it. This issue is especially prevalent amongst runners, cyclists and mountain bikers. We can stretch the muscles that are tight, strengthen those that are weak, get the knees reacquainted with safe, diverse movements and calm the central nervous system.
Please remember that this article is not intended as a substitute for seeing a skilled physical therapist to gain an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for your specific issues.
COMMON CAUSES OF KNEE PAIN
Knee pain rarely starts at the knee. The knee is a hinge joint, caught between two joints built for far more movement—the hip and ankle. When either of these joints doesn’t move well or is tight, the knee is forced to compensate. Three common patterns arise: tight quads pulling on the kneecap, a tight IT band and TFL pulling at the outer knee, and weak glutes that let the knee cave inward under pressure.
The knees interact with multiple muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, adductors, IT band and calves. If any of these muscles are tight, weak or not functioning properly, they can pull the kneecap out of alignment and damage the soft tissue in and around the knee joint. This is a common pattern that we see:
- Weak inner thighs and tight outer thighs.
- Over-active quads and under-active glutes.
- Tight calves and hamstrings.
- Poor hip and ankle mobility.
- Weak feet and ankles.
Cyclists are especially prone to this pattern. The fixed, repetitive motion of the pedal stroke keeps the quads working hard while barely using the glutes, and the seated position shortens the hip flexors over time. The result, often called cyclist’s knee or patellofemoral pain, shows up as discomfort around or behind the kneecap, particularly on long rides or hard climbs.
HOW TO CORRECT THESE IMBALANCES
- Stretch the hip flexors, IT band, TFL, calves and hamstrings.
- Strengthen the feet, ankles, quads, adductors, glutes and core.
- Improve ankle and hip strength and mobility.
- Build on this work with a dedicated sequence to strengthen your knees and improve knee stability.
ALIGNMENT TO PROTECT AGAINST KNEE PAIN
It’s crucial that you focus on your alignment in these poses so as not to cause further damage to your knee(s). In all static poses, check that your knee tracks in line with your middle toe, not falling in towards your other leg or out to the side. And if you’d like further instruction for the poses, click on the titles to take you through to the video tutorials.
YOGA FOR KNEE PAIN: YOUR 6 POSES
This sequence follows that principle in two stages: release first, to take pressure off the muscles pulling the knee out of alignment, then strengthen, to build the support that keeps it there. You’ll need a strap for one of the poses.
RELEASE — TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF
1. Reclining Hand-To-Big-Toe—releases tight hamstrings and calves
Tight hamstrings and calves can also pull on the back of the knee, so this is a good place to start: fully supported by the mat, with no weight through the knee at all. You’ll need a strap to reach your foot comfortably without rounding your lower back.
Grab your strap. Straighten your right leg to the mat. Loop the strap around the ball of your left foot and press through your heel to straighten your left leg up to the sky. You can bend your right knee and bring your right foot flat to the mat if that is more comfortable. Walk your hands up your strap, keep your left leg straight, flex your right foot and breathe into the stretch. Relax your neck and shoulders and try to bring your leg in a little closer on every exhalation. Hold for 5+ breaths. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, release the pose for the other side.
2. Reclining Spinal Twist—releases the IT band and TFL
A tight IT band and TFL pull at the outer knee, often the source of pain on the outside of the joint, especially in cyclists and runners covering repetitive miles. This gentle rotation releases both, with your back still fully supported by the mat.
Inhale, straighten your left leg to the mat. Exhale, bring your right arm out to the side—palm face up. Inhale, hook your right foot behind your left inner thigh. Exhale, draw your right knee across your body and look to the right. Rest your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and draw your right shoulder down towards the mat. Hold for 5+ breaths. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, come back to centre for the other side.
3. Low Lunge—releases tight hip flexors
Low Lunge brings in the first bit of weight-bearing, stretching the hip flexors and quads on your back leg through hip extension rather than deep knee flexion—releasing the same tightness that pulls on the kneecap, without needing to bend that knee sharply.
From Downward Dog. Inhale, sweep your left leg up to the sky. Exhale, step your left foot in between your hands, drop your left knee and release your back foot in Low Lunge. You can put a blanket or thin cushion under your back knee for support. Come up and bring your hands to your hips, tuck your pelvis and draw your ribcage in. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, bring your hands back down to the mat, tuck your back toes and step back to Downward Dog for the other side.
STRENGTHEN — ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE
4. Bridge—Bilateral and controlled
Once the tightness pulling on your knee has eased, we can build the strength that keeps it in good alignment day to day, starting with the glutes. Bridge is bilateral and controlled, which makes it a safe way to begin reactivating a weak glute without putting single-leg weight through the knee.
Bring the soles of your feet flat to the mat, hip-width apart and parallel. Rest your hands by your sides—palms face down, and walk your feet back until your fingertips graze your heels. Before you lift your hips, gently tuck your tailbone, flattening your lower back into the mat. Inhale, squeeze your glutes, press through your heels and lift your hips up. Exhale, hold—keeping your glutes engaged and your knees pointing straight up over your feet—not falling in or out to the sides. Be careful not to lift too high and arch your lower back. Hold and squeeze your glutes for 3-5 breaths.
5. Chair—quad and glute endurance
Chair pose builds on Bridge—your quads and glutes now work together while you’re upright and bearing more weight. Holding the position with control teaches your knee to track straight ahead under pressure.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart—toes point straight ahead. Inhale, sweep your arms up alongside your ears. Exhale, bend your knees and sit back in Chair pose. Shift your weight into your heels so that you can still see your toes. Check that both knees point straight ahead and do not collapse in towards each other or fall out to the sides. Tuck your tailbone under and draw your lower abs in. Reach through your fingertips as you draw your shoulder blades down your back. Relax your jaw and the muscles in your face. Drop your hips a little deeper—only if that doesn’t trigger pain, reach through your fingertips and draw your ribs in. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Take one more deep breath in. Exhale, stand up, and bring your hands back down by your sides.
6. Warrior 2—frontal-plane hip and glute control
Warrior 2 closes the sequence by holding your hips open and your knee in line while your weight sits low and to the side. This side-to-side stability mirrors the demands of cornering on a bike or a sharp change of direction on the trail, where cyclist’s knee tends to show up.
From Downward Dog. Inhale, sweep your right leg up to the sky. Exhale, step your right foot in between your hands, turn your back heel down to the mat and circle your arms up into Warrior 2. Reach both arms out at shoulder height and look straight ahead. Don’t let your front knee come forward over your ankle and press into the outside edge of your back foot to open up your hips. Check that your front knee points straight ahead and try to bring your front thigh parallel with the mat. Hold the pose still for 3-5 breaths. Take a deep breath in. Exhale, circle your left hand back down to the mat and step back to Downward Dog for the other side.
KEEP YOUR KNEES HEALTHY AND SAFE
Release first, then strengthen: work through this yoga for knee pain sequence a few times a week, and you’ll take the pressure off the tissues pulling on your knee while you build the glute strength that holds it in place. From here, you can go deeper with a dedicated knee strengthening or knee stability sequence.
Please ensure that you do not practice any poses that aggravate your knee pain. These may include kneeling poses, including Half-Reclining Hero and Screaming Toe, which are intense knee stretches. It may also help to put a blanket under your knees in poses in which one or both knees are supporting your weight, for example, Half Monkey.
The pace of the class is also important. Please only practice slow sequences that incorporate longer holds, giving you a chance to ensure that your alignment is on point. And skip or substitute any poses that cause you pain. As your strength and mobility in the knees improves, you will be able to include a wider variety of poses but for now, make sure that you work only within a range that is safe for you.
If you’d like to practise poses like these as a sequence, there’s a whole library of pain relief sessions inside Yoga 15—guided, follow-along, and designed for endurance and adventure sports athletes. You can try it all free for 14 days, starting with Knee And Ankle Stability.
Thank you so much. I wish there was a video of these yoga moves to eliminate knee pain to at will assure that I am doing them correctly.
Click on the title links and you will see videos of the poses so that you can check your form. I hope that they help.