Knee pain coaching, online
Strong legs, without flaring your knees.
1-on-1 strength coaching that rates every set for pain, swaps what hurts and builds strength around the knee and hip, week by week.
Online, 1-on-1, from home or your gym. We work alongside your doctor or physio.
Who this is for
- Knees that ache on stairs, squats or after long sitting
- Early knee osteoarthritis where your doctor has advised exercise
- An old knee injury that keeps you away from leg day
- Runners and walkers whose knees complain as the distance goes up
What a coached week looks like
- 1Rate it, then trainEvery set gets a pain score. 2 to 3 out of 10 is fine; higher means the exercise changes, not the session ending.
- 2Swap, do not skipDeadlifts, glute bridges and hip work keep your legs training while the knee settles.
- 3Build back the movementSquats and lunges return with range and load that grow as the knee tolerates them.
From our coaching data
Knee pain: how we train around it
Most knee pain we see is not a reason to stop training. It is a reason to train differently. Guidelines for knee osteoarthritis put exercise at the centre of care, and our coaches adjust every leg day to the knee in front of them.
1 in 5
people filling our assessment report knee problems
2 of 3
recorded classes include knee coaching, from form cues to swaps
2 to 3
out of 10: the pain our coaches treat as manageable in a set
Core
NICE puts therapeutic exercise at the core of osteoarthritis care
Source: YourTrainer assessment answers (a sample, Sep to Oct 2026) and recorded classes (Aug to Oct 2026); NICE NG226.
How our coaches handle it in sessions
From recorded YourTrainer sessions and chats, members anonymised.
Rate it, every set
Coaches ask for pain out of 10. "Any pain like 2 or 3 is manageable." Above that, the exercise changes on the spot.
Swap, do not skip
"Since you have a knee pain, we will not do squats today." Deadlifts, glute bridges and hip work keep the legs training while the knee settles.
Adjust the machine and the stance
On the leg press: feet a little higher on the plate, knees in line, and "if your knee hurts, stop."
Strength around the knee fixes the squat
A member who could not squat because of an old injury trained deadlifts and glutes first: "that improved my knee pain in the squat."
“Earlier I used to have knee pain very often. After regular training, my knee issue has not come back yet.”
What the published evidence says
NICE · 2022
Offer therapeutic exercise tailored to the person, and support weight loss where it applies, as core treatments.
Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management (NG226)
See your doctor first if
- See a doctor first for a swollen, hot or locked knee, a knee that gives way, or pain after a fall or twist.
- Sharp pain during a movement means stop and tell your coach. Dull effort in the muscles is fine.
- Pain that is worse the next morning means the dose was too high, and the next session gets lighter.
YourTrainer coaches are fitness and nutrition professionals, not doctors. We work alongside your doctor and never change medication.
Read next
- Knee pain during squats: the fixes our coaches use
- Online strength training with a coach
- How online personal training works
Get a plan built around your knees
Answer a few questions, then talk it through with a coach on a free call.
Start Your JourneyFAQ
Common questions
Should I exercise with knee pain?
For most knee pain without swelling, locking or a recent injury, yes. NICE guidance for knee osteoarthritis puts tailored exercise at the core of treatment. The key is the dose: our coaches keep pain during a set at about 2 or 3 out of 10 and change the exercise if it goes higher.
Can I do squats if my knees hurt?
Often yes, in a modified form: a higher box, a shorter range, or a different stance. While the knee settles, coaches swap squats for deadlifts, glute bridges and hip work, then build the squat back as strength grows.
What exercises help knee pain?
Strength around the knee and hip: glute bridges, hip abduction, step-ups to a comfortable height, hamstring work and controlled partial squats. Which ones and how heavy depends on what hurts and when, which is what the first call is for.
When should I see a doctor instead?
See a doctor first for a swollen, hot or locked knee, a knee that gives way, pain after a fall or twist, or pain at night that does not ease with rest.
Does this work online?
Yes. Sessions run over video. The coach watches each rep, adjusts stance and range live, and plans around the equipment you have at home or in your gym.