How to Do Exercises for Knock Knees (Knee Valgus)
Strengthen your gluteus medius, rebuild foot arches, and retrain alignment to correct functional knee valgus and knock knees with targeted exercises.
This guide shows how to do exercises for knock knees (knee valgus) in 20-30 minutes. Start with release the tensor fasciae latae (tfl) and it band; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Foam roller
- ✓ Loop resistance band (light-to-medium)
- ✓ Yoga mat
- ✓ Kettlebell or dumbbell (5-15 lbs)
- ✓ Flat sturdy wall
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Grippy athletic socks or bare feet
- ✓ Form-fitting workout clothing
- ✓ Water bottle
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Stop immediately if you experience sharp or pinching joint pain inside the knee capsule or under the patella.
- • Ensure knees always track directly over the second and third toes during loading rather than caving inward.
- • Maintain a neutral spine without arching or twisting the lower back to compensate for hip weakness.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Release the Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL) and IT Band
Lie sideways on your yoga mat with the foam roller positioned just below your hip bone on the outer upper thigh. Cross your top leg over in front of you with that foot flat on the floor to support body weight. Slowly roll 2 to 3 inches back and forth over tight spots for 45 to 60 seconds per side.
- • Foam roller positioned securely beneath the lateral hip/upper thigh without contacting the hip bone directly
- • Top foot planted firmly on the floor in front of the bottom thigh acting as a stable brake
- • Rolling directly onto the hard bony prominence of the greater trochanter
- • Rolling all the way across the lateral knee joint capsule
Perform Side-Lying Banded Clamshells
Loop a light-to-medium resistance band around both legs 2 inches above the knees and lie on your side with hips stacked at a 45-degree angle and knees bent at 90 degrees. Keep your feet glued together while rotating your top knee toward the ceiling using your glute. Pause at the top for two seconds, then lower under control for 12 to 15 repetitions per side.
- • Both pelvis halves stacked vertically perpendicular to the floor without rolling backward
- • Inner borders of both feet remaining touching while the top knee opens smoothly against the band
- • Rolling the top hip backward toward the floor behind you to gain extra height
- • Separating the heels and feet as the knee lifts
Execute Lateral Band Walks in an Athletic Stance
Place the loop band around your ankles or just above your knees, standing with feet hip-width apart. Drop into a quarter squat with your chest upright and your knees pushed out over your toes. Step laterally with your lead foot, then slowly follow with the trailing foot, maintaining continuous tension on the band across 10 steps each direction.
- • Knees remain pushed out wider than the ankles throughout each lateral step
- • Band remains constantly taut without snapping or losing tension between steps
- • Allowing the knees to collapse inward when the trailing leg takes a step
- • Dragging feet across the floor or bobbing up and down between steps
Activate Foot Arches with the Short Foot Exercise
Stand barefoot with feet hip-width apart and equal weight distributed through the heel, base of the big toe, and base of the pinky toe (the foot tripod). Without curling your toes, draw the ball of your big toe backward toward your heel to raise and shorten your medial longitudinal arch. Hold the contraction for 5 seconds, repeat 10 times per foot.
- • Medial longitudinal foot arch visibly rises from the floor while toes remain completely flat and extended
- • Ankles remain neutral without rolling outward onto the razor edge of the foot
- • Curling or clawing the toes into the floor instead of keeping them flat
- • Rolling the entire foot outward to artificially lift the arch
Perform Banded Goblet Squats with Knee Tracking
Place the loop band around your legs 2 inches above the knees and hold a kettlebell or dumbbell vertically against your sternum with both hands. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, toes angled 15 to 30 degrees outward. Squat down to parallel while actively driving your knees outward against the band's inward resistance, then push through your mid-foot to stand.
- • Patellae point directly along the angle of the second and third toes during both descent and ascent
- • Torso angle remains parallel to shin angle throughout the full range of motion
- • Letting the knees dive inward toward the midline during the initial upward drive from the bottom of the squat
- • Shifting weight onto the inner arches of the feet
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Tone and Tighten — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Loop resistance band (light-to-medium)? Tied standard physical therapy flat elastic band or yoga strap (held taut)
- No Foam roller? Tennis ball, lacrosse ball, or rolled-up dense beach towel
- No Kettlebell or dumbbell (5-15 lbs)? Filled gallon water jug or heavy hardcover book