Looking for the Best Exercises for Knee Pain When Sitting or Driving?
If your knees ache, stiffen up, or feel sore after sitting for long periods—whether at your desk or behind the wheel—you’re not alone. Prolonged sitting limits circulation, tightens the muscles around the knee, and places extra pressure on the joint. Over time, this can lead to pain, stiffness, and difficulty standing up or walking comfortably.
In this article, you’ll learn simple, physical therapist-approved exercises to relieve knee pain, restore flexibility, and keep your joints moving freely—even after hours of sitting. These movements are safe to perform at home, at work, or during rest breaks on the road.
Before we dive in, check out our related guides:
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Exercises
- Top Exercises for Achey Knees
- Knee Exercises for Going Up and Down Stairs Without Pain
Let’s get started with some strengthening exercises, where the goal is to activate your leg muscles and take stress off of your knees.
Want a quick-reference PDF? Scroll down to the bottom of this post to grab your free printable plan!
Disclaimers and Disclosures: All information in this article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as individual medical advice. Additionally, this article contains affiliate links, meaning when you make a purchase, we make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see our full Disclaimers and Disclosures.
Strengthening Exercises for Knee Pain When Sitting or Driving
When your knees hurt after sitting, the culprit is often weakness in the muscles that support and stabilize the joint—especially the quads, glutes, and hips. These strengthening exercises help improve circulation, build endurance, and reduce stiffness when you stand up or move after long periods of sitting.
Perform these exercises 4-5 times per week.
This program was created by a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. As always, consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise regimen.
1. Short Arc Quad
- Purpose: Strengthens quads through a small range of motion similar to that needed for driving.
- Benefits: Improves knee support and circulation during long sitting periods.
- How to Do It:
- Rest your knee over a foam roll while lying on your back.
- Straighten the knee by lifting your heel off the surface, pause briefly at the top.
- Repeat 15 times, complete 2 sets. Add an ankle weight for an added challenge.
- Helpful Link: Best Ankle Weights and Foam Roll can be found in the links below.
2. Long Arc Quad
- Purpose: Strengthens the quads while in a sitting position.
- Benefits: Prepares the muscle for prolonged periods of sitting and driving.
- How to Do It:
- Sit upright with your thigh supported.
- Slowly extend your leg fully, hold briefly, then lower.
- Repeat 15 times, complete 2 sets. Add an ankle weight as strength improves.
- Helpful Link: Best Ankle Weights can be found in the link below.
3. Bridges with Band
- Purpose: Strengthen glutes and hamstrings to reduce stress on the knees
- Benefits: Improves hip extension and posture after long sitting sessions.
- How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with knees bent and band above knees.
- Squeeze glutes and lift hips off the floor, hold for 2 seconds at the top.
- Perform 15 repetitions and complete 2 sets.
- Helpful Link: Best Resistance Bands can be found in the link below.
4. Sidelying Clams with Band
- Purpose: Strengthen hip rotators to support proper knee alignment
- Benefits: Reduces knee strain caused by inward collapse from weak glutes.
- How to Do It:
- Lie on your side with knees bent, feet together, and band around your knees.
- Keeping feet touching, lift the top knee upward, pause for 3 seconds, then lower slowly.
- Complete 10 reps and perform 2 sets on each side.
- Helpful Link: Best Resistance Band can be found in the link below.
5. Lateral Step-Overs
- Purpose: Enhances coordination and strengthens quads and hips.
- Benefits: Builds quad strength and takes pressure of the knee joint.
- How to Do It:
- Stand beside the low step and step laterally up with your outer leg.
- Bring the other leg up, then step down to the other side.
- Return to start in the same fashion, complete 10 reps and perform 2 sets.
- Helpful Link: Best Adjustable Stepper can be found in the link below.
Bonus: Ice Pack and TENS for Knee Pain Relief from Sitting and Driving
- Purpose: Reduce pain and inflammation due to prolonged sitting and driving.
- Benefits: Enhances comfort and reduces inflammation from prolonged positioning.
- How to Use:
- Place TENS pads just over the painful area of the knee.
- Apply ice in a pillowcase for 10–15 minutes.
- Helpful Link: Best TENS Unit and Ice Packs can be found in the links below.
Stretching Exercises for Knee Pain When Sitting or Driving
Prolonged sitting shortens the muscles that cross the hips and knees—especially the hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors. These stretches help restore flexibility, reduce compression on the knee joint, and make it easier to sit and drive longer durations without pain.
Perform these exercises daily or before/after long car rides.
This program was created by a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. As always, consult your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise regimen.
1. Piriformis Stretch
- Purpose: Stretch the deep hip rotators that tighten during sitting.
- Benefits: Relieves glute and posterior knee tightness associated with driving posture.
- How to Do It:
- Lie on your back and cross one ankle over the opposite knee.
- Gently pull your knee toward your chest until you feel a stretch in your glute.
- Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Helpful Link: Best Thick Yoga Mat to lie on can be found in the link below.
2. Heel slides
- Purpose: Gently stretches the quads and knee joint.
- Benefits: Promotes full motion and reduces stress on the knee.
- How to Do It:
- Loop a strap around your foot.
- Slide your heel slowly toward your buttocks, keeping your foot on the surface.
- Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times.
- Helpful Link: Best Stretching Strap with loops can be found in the link below.
3. Hamstring Stretch with Strap
- Purpose: Lengthen tight hamstrings that limit knee extension.
- Benefits: Improves ease of straightening the knee and reduces sitting discomfort.
- How to Do It:
- Lie on your back, loop a strap around the middle of your foot.
- Lift your leg straight upward, keeping the knee as straight as possible.
- Hold for 20 seconds, repeat 5 times.
- Helpful Link: Best Stretching Strap with loops can be found in the link below.
4. Prone Quad Stretch
- Purpose: Lengthens the quad muscle and reduces tension on the knee.
- Benefits: Reduces stress on the knee and improve mobility for stairs.
- How to Do It:
- Lie on your stomach and loop a strap around your ankle.
- Gently pull until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh.
- Hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times.
- Helpful Link: Best Stretching Strap with loops can be found in the link below.
5. Calf Stretch on Slant Board
- Purpose: Improve calf flexibility and knee extension mechanics.
- Benefits: Reduces stiffness in the lower leg that contributes to knee pain when sitting.
- How to Do It:
- Stand on a slant board with your knees straight and your heels down.
- Lean forward until you feel a strong stretch in your calves.
- Hold for 20 seconds, repeat 5 times.
- Helpful Link: Best Slant Board can be found in the link below.
Looking for a simple way to stay consistent?
👉 Download the free full Exercise Program for Knee Pain with Sitting and Driving + Exercise Tracker (PDF) to follow and log your daily progress.
Best Exercises for Knee Pain When Sitting or Driving: Final Thoughts
Knee pain when sitting or driving is a frustrating problem — especially if your day involves long commutes or hours at a desk. Stiff hips, tight quads, and weak glutes can all contribute to the discomfort, but the right exercises can make a big difference.
This phase-based program of exercises for knee pain when sitting or driving was designed by a Doctor of Physical Therapy to help you move safely and effectively at home. By combining targeted strengthening and stretching, you’ll relieve pressure on the knee joint, improve flexibility, and restore natural movement patterns.
Remember — consistent effort matters more than intensity. Practice these exercises regularly, avoid pushing through pain, and focus on smooth, controlled movement. Over time, you’ll likely notice less stiffness when sitting, improved comfort while driving, and better strength during daily activities.
With a structured home plan and a little patience, you can reduce knee pain, restore balance, and get back to moving confidently — all without expensive equipment or a gym membership.
Why Trust Physical Therapy Simplified for Knee Pain with Sitting and Driving Exercises?
At Physical Therapy Simplified, our mission is to provide an accessible, trustworthy source of physical therapy guidance that anyone can understand, follow, and benefit from. We want you to feel confident that you’re getting evidence-based advice and the best pain-relieving knee exercises for sitting and driving—all designed to reduce pain and restore your highest functional potential.
This article was written by Andrew Harkins, PT, DPT, OCS, a licensed physical therapist with over twelve years of clinical experience. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and he has helped hundreds of patients overcome knee stiffness, patellofemoral pain, and postural imbalances caused by prolonged sitting or long drives.
Andrew has also served as a teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, where he contributed to education on knee injuries, joint preservation, and lower extremity biomechanics. His evidence-based, real-world approach ensures you’re getting trusted information that’s research-backed and has helped real people get better, faster.
