Knee-Friendly Strength Moves: 7 Gentle Exercises at Home

A low-impact, joint-loving workout you can do right at home — no squats, no burpees, no pressure.

These 7 knee-friendly strength moves are designed to build full-body strength without putting your joints through the wringer — perfect for women in their 60s and 70s who want to feel strong, steady, and capable again.

One of the biggest worries I hear from women in their 60s and 70s is that strength training will hurt their knees. Honestly, I get it — mine talk back to me some mornings too. However, here’s what I’ve come to know: cranky knees aren’t a reason to stop moving. Instead, they’re a reason to move smarter.

So if you’ve been avoiding workouts because you’re worried about your joints, this routine is for you. Trainer Ed Gemdjian put together a beautiful full-body circuit that skips the squats and burpees and instead builds the kind of strength that shows up in your real life — carrying groceries, getting up from the couch, chasing the grandkids without a second thought.

This guide walks you through all 7 knee-friendly strength moves in simple steps, with regressions if you need to ease in and progressions when you’re ready for more.

Before You Begin These Knee-Friendly Strength Moves

You don’t need a gym. You don’t need to lift heavy. You don’t need to be in any kind of “shape” to start. A sturdy chair, a light pair of dumbbells (optional!), and a few square feet of floor is all it takes.

A gentle reminder: please listen to your body, especially if you have any injuries or limitations. There is no pressure here. The weight is just there to add a little challenge and help engage your muscles. According to the Arthritis Foundation, strength training is one of the most effective ways to support joint health as you age.

The 7 Knee-Friendly Strength Moves

1. Chair Sit-to-Stand

• Focus: Quads, glutes, and core
• How: Sit on a sturdy chair with feet hip-width apart. Lean slightly forward, brace your core, and drive through your heels to stand tall. Then slowly lower back down under control.
• Regression: Use your hands on the chair for support. After all, we all need to be able to sit and stand up from a chair.
• Progression: Hold a dumbbell.

2. Hip Hinge Deadlift

• Focus: Glutes, hamstrings, and spinal erectors
• How: Stand tall with knees soft. Push your hips back as your torso tilts forward, keeping your spine neutral and shoulders pulled back. Then squeeze your glutes to return to standing.
• Regression: Perform with no load, focusing on the hip movement. Use the back of a chair as a target for your hips to reach behind you.
• Progression: Add dumbbells or a resistance band looped under your feet.

3. Dumbbell or Banded Row

• Focus: Lats, rhomboids, posterior shoulders
• How: Hinge slightly at the hips with a flat back, holding dumbbells or band handles. Pull your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together like you’re holding a pencil between them.
• Regression: Perform one arm at a time with hand support on a chair.
• Progression: Add a pause at the top or increase resistance.

4. Incline Push-Up or Standing Shoulder Press

Choose whichever feels right for your body today.

Option A: Incline Push-Up

• Focus: Chest, shoulders, triceps
• How: Place your hands on a bench or countertop, step back so your body forms a straight line, then lower your chest toward your hands. Press away and fully extend your arms.
• Regression: Use a higher surface, like a wall.
• Progression: Lower the surface height.

Option B: Standing Shoulder Press

• Focus: Shoulders, upper back, triceps
• How: Stand tall with feet grounded and dumbbells at shoulder height. Press overhead, avoiding arching the lower back, then lower slowly.
• Regression: Use one arm at a time or lighter weights.
• Progression: Alternate arms or add a slow lowering phase.

5. Supported Step-Back

• Focus: Glutes, quads, hip stabilizers
• How: Hold a chair or wall for balance. Step one foot back, lightly tapping your toe behind you while keeping the front knee soft and tracking over the ankle. Then return to standing.
• Regression: Keep both feet grounded and shift your weight backward.
• Progression: Add a small knee bend or light dumbbells.

6. Lateral Lunge with Reach

• Focus: Glutes, adductors, obliques, balance
• How: Step out to one side and push your hips back into a shallow lunge. Reach your opposite hand toward the outside foot (right hand to left foot, for example), keeping your spine long and core braced.
• Regression: Keep the reach small and the range shallow.
• Progression: Add a light dumbbell or band, or increase the range if comfortable.

7. Standing Banded Pallof Press

• Focus: Core, anti-rotation strength, posture
• How: Anchor a band at chest height. Hold it close to your chest with tension, step away from the anchor, and press your arms straight forward. Hold for two seconds, resisting rotation, then return.
• Regression: Sit in a chair for more stability.
• Progression: Increase band tension or perform from a half-kneeling position.

How to Put These Knee-Friendly Strength Moves Together

Aim for 2 sets of 8–12 reps of each move, 2–3 times a week with rest days in between. Move slowly, breathe steady, and stop if anything feels sharp or wrong.

If 2 sets feels like too much when you start, do 1. If 8 reps feels like too much, do 5. The goal is simply to keep showing up. Ultimately, strength built slowly is strength that stays.

[IMAGE: Woman lifting kettlebell in home setting]

Why These Knee-Friendly Strength Moves Work

These moves are joint-friendly without being “easy.” In fact, they train the muscles you actually use every day — your legs for standing and walking, your back for posture, your core for balance, your shoulders for reaching. Every one of them has a clear regression and progression, so the workout grows with you instead of leaving you behind.

Pair this routine with good nutrition for strength and plenty of sleep, and your body will reward you in ways you didn’t think were still possible.

If this resonated with you, you might also love my post on balance after 60 or the 10-minute morning stretch I swear by.

Final Thoughts

So cranky knees don’t have to mean the end of strength training. Instead, they’re an invitation to train smarter — with moves that respect your joints while still building the kind of full-body strength that makes everyday life easier.

Start where you are. Add a little when you’re ready. Your body will meet you halfway, every time.

What’s helped you stay strong with cranky knees? Share your wins, your struggles, or the move that finally clicked — your words might be exactly what another woman needs to hear today. Leave a comment — I’d love to hear!

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Strong is the new sixty

Cheering you on, always — Julie 💛 Age Has No Limits • Stay 60 Strong

Want these moves built into a plan made for women over 50? The Sixty Strong app gives you joint-friendly strength workouts you can follow along with at home — no guesswork required.

Keep Reading

• Strength Training After 50: Is 30 Minutes a Day Enough to Lose Weight?
• Dumbbell Workout for Women Over 50: Strength at Home
• Strength Training After 60: Machines or Free Weights?

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Final Thoughts

Cranky knees aren’t a reason to skip strength training — they’re a reason to train smarter. These moves build real strength without the pounding.

Want workouts built for this? The Sixty Strong app gives you joint-friendly, 30-minute strength sessions made for women 50+. Try it free for 7 days →

What’s the one exercise your knees have made you give up? Tell me — I may have a swap.

xo, Julie