7 patellar tendonitis exercises and stretches to ease knee pain and stiffness
Try these physical therapist-backed patellar tendonitis exercises to relieve knee pain, improve flexibility, boost strength, and support your everyday activities.
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When you think about the structures that support your knee, the patellar tendon may not be the first to come to mind. This tendon runs from your kneecap to your shinbone (tibia). It helps you straighten your knee and stay active.
While your patellar tendon is strong and resilient, it can sometimes become irritated from repeated stress or overuse, leading to a condition called patellar tendonitis, or “jumper’s knee.”
“Patellar tendonitis can develop when your body isn’t yet used to a new activity or an increase in movement,” says Paige Fortney, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Hinge Health. It usually occurs after overdoing activities that involve lots of jumping, running, or frequent changes in direction, like basketball, soccer, volleyball, and other high-impact sports. You can also get patellar tendonitis if you have a muscle imbalance or muscle tightness in your legs.
While you may want to rest when you have front-of-knee pain, gentle movement is one of the best ways to promote healing.
Targeted stretches and strengthening exercises can help you manage patellar tendonitis, ease pain, and get back to the activities you enjoy. Read on for exercises and stretches recommended by Hinge Health physical therapists to help support your knee and encourage recovery.
Interested in getting a personalized exercise therapy plan? Learn more about Hinge Health’s digital physical therapy program and see if you’re eligible.
Reviewed by our clinical and medical experts
Paige Fortney, PT, DPT
Jillian Kleiner, PT, DPT
7 patellar tendonitis exercises and stretches
If your knee feels tight or uncomfortable when you run, jump, walk, or move around, it can feel counterintuitive to exercise. You may think rest or avoiding activities is needed to help your body heal. At Hinge Health, physical therapists say that movement is medicine. You may need to make adjustments in your usual activities if they’re causing a lot of pain and discomfort, but skipping movement altogether until you feel better is not recommended. In fact, gentle, therapeutic movements can help you recover more quickly from issues like patellar tendonitis.
Simple stretching and strengthening exercises that focus on the areas that support your knee and its soft tissues (tendons and ligaments) can help you find relief and keep moving comfortably. This includes your calf muscles, glutes (butt muscles), quads (front of thigh muscles), and hip muscles. Boost flexibility and strength in these key areas with these physical therapist-recommended patellar tendonitis exercises.
1. Quad stretch
Want expert care? Check if you're covered for our free program →This move can help ease tight quads. Your quad muscles attach to the top of your kneecap and play an important role in how your knee moves and feels during daily activities. “Regularly stretching your quads can reduce tension around the joint, which can make it easier to straighten your leg,” Dr. Fortney says.
How to do it:
To begin, stand with your hands holding onto a table.
Next, bend your knee, bringing your heel up toward your butt, and grab onto your foot or ankle.
Once your foot is secure, gently pull your foot toward your butt until you feel a nice stretch in the front of your thigh and hold.
Release your foot back to the floor to return to standing.
Repeat on the other side.
Get more information on how to do the quad stretch here.
Your calf muscles not only support your ankle and foot, but your gastrocnemius also connects across the back of your knee. Keeping your calves flexible can help your whole leg move smoothly and may ease tension around your knee. “Stretching your calves helps make daily activities — like walking, climbing stairs, or getting up from a chair — more comfortable,” Dr. Fortney says.
How to do it:
Start by standing, facing a wall, with the palms of your hands flat on the wall.
Now take a step back with your target leg.
Pressing your back heel down toward the floor, move your hips and front knee toward the wall. Your back leg should remain mostly straight during this stretch.
Switch legs and repeat.
Strengthening the calf muscles in your lower leg helps support your knees. “When your calves are strong, they help your whole leg absorb impact, making your knee feel more stable and less irritated during everyday activities,” Dr. Fortney says.
How to do it:
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and with one hand on a table for balance.
Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels off the floor. Focus on squeezing your calf muscles as you hold this position.
Relax your heels back to the floor.
Get more information on how to do a calf raise here.
This move helps your knees feel more supported and less uncomfortable. Holding this position allows your leg muscles, especially the quadriceps, to work in a steady way without much movement. “This kind of gentle muscle engagement helps ease knee pain, making everyday activities like standing, walking, or using stairs feel a little easier,” Dr. Fortney says.
How to do it:
Stand with your back and shoulders against a wall and your feet several steps away.
Bend your knees so your back slides down the wall into a squat. Your knees should be bent around 90 degrees with your knees aligned over your ankles. Maintain the pressure between your back, shoulders, and the wall.
Focus on contracting the muscles in your thighs as you hold this position.
Push through your feet and slide back up the wall to the starting position.
Get more information on how to do wall squats here.
This exercise targets your glutes and low back muscles, which support your knees. “Strengthening these muscles can take strain off your knees, which is especially helpful for patellar tendonitis,” Dr. Fortney says
How to do it:
Lie comfortably on your back. With your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, push through your feet to raise your hips off the floor.
Squeeze your butt muscles at the top of the move.
Relax your hips back to the floor.
PT tip: “As you lift your hips, gently squeeze your glutes. If you start to feel the work in your lower back instead, try lifting your hips just a bit less,” Dr. Fortney says.
Get more information on how to do a bridge here.
If squatting feels uncomfortable, practicing sit to stand can be a gentler way to strengthen your glutes and quads. This movement mimics activities you do every day, like rising from a chair or using stairs, but with less intensity than a deep squat. Over time, building strength in these muscles with this functional movement can make daily tasks easier and relieve knee pain.
How to do it:
Sit in a chair with your feet comfortably apart while holding your hands together in front of your chest.
Without using your hands, push through your feet to straighten your legs to come into standing, and hold in this position.
Bend your knees to sit into the chair with control.
Get more information on how to do sit to stand exercise here.
7. Standing side leg raise
Want expert care? Check if you're covered for our free program →This move strengthens the muscles that run along the sides of your hips. When these muscles are stronger, your hips feel more stable. Improving hip stability and strength supports your knees and makes functional movements smoother and more comfortable.
How to do it:
Stand next to a sturdy surface like a countertop or table, and place your hand on it for balance.
Lift one leg out to your side and toward the ceiling while keeping your knee straight.
Focus on squeezing your hip muscles as you hold this position.
Relax your leg back to the floor.
Repeat on the other side.
PT tip: “You can do this exercise with or without a resistance band, depending on how challenging you want to make the movement,” says Dr. Fortney.
Get more information on how to do a standing side leg raise here.
The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.
Personalizing your patellar tendonitis exercises
Note: Some of these moves may feel challenging if you’re dealing with knee pain. On the other hand, if you’re doing these moves proactively to prevent pain, some may feel subtle or too easy. Working with a Hinge Health physical therapist can help make sure your exercises are the right amount of challenge for you.
Benefits of patellar tendonitis exercises
Patellar tendonitis requires movement to heal. Doing a mix of dynamic exercises can increase blood flow to your muscles and tendons, reducing inflammation and easing pain throughout your lower body. Strengthening the muscles surrounding your knee helps relieve pressure on the soft tissues in your knee. Stretching these supporting muscles increases flexibility and range of motion in your knee, which can prevent reinjury and reduce pain. The benefits of exercise for patellar tendonitis include:
Ease discomfort and support healing. Regular movement increases blood flow to the knee, bringing nutrients to the area and helping quell soreness and inflammation.
Improve confidence in daily activities. “Building strength and flexibility around your knee can make everyday movements — like getting up from a chair, taking the stairs, or squatting — feel easier and less frustrating,” Dr. Fortney says.
Promote strength and resilience. Focusing on the muscles that support your knee helps your whole leg work better together. “As these muscles get stronger, they can better support your knee, making you more resilient during daily routines and recreational activities,” Dr. Fortney says.
Enhance mobility and flexibility. Stretching exercises — like the quad and calf stretch above — help improve your knee and leg mobility, so your knee feels less stiff and more comfortable with each step or bend.
Reduce risk of future irritation. Improving your lower body strength and flexibility in a sustainable way can reduce the likelihood of experiencing lingering or repeated irritation. It may also help lower your risk of reinjury.
Physical therapy (PT) is for more than just recovering from surgery or injury. It ’s one of the top treatments for joint and muscle pain. It helps build strength, improve mobility, and reduce pain. And it doesn't always need to be in person.
Hinge Health members can conveniently access customized plans or chat with their care team at home or on the go — and experience an average 68% reduction in pain* within the first 12 weeks of their program. Learn more*.
How Hinge Health can help you
If you have joint or muscle pain that makes it hard to move, you can get the relief you’ve been looking for with Hinge Health’s online exercise therapy program.
The best part: You don’t have to leave your home because our program is digital. That means you can easily get the care you need through our app when and where it works for you.
Through our program, you’ll have access to therapeutic exercises and stretches for your condition. Additionally, you’ll have a personal care team to guide, support, and tailor our program to you.
See if you qualify for Hinge Health and confirm free coverage through your employer or benefit plan here.
This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.
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References
Llombart, R., Mariscal, G., Barrios, C., & Llombart-Ais, R. (2024). The Best Current Research on Patellar Tendinopathy: A Review of Published Meta-Analyses. Sports, 12(2), 46–46. doi:10.3390/sports12020046
Rudavsky, A., & Cook, J. (2014). Physiotherapy management of patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee). Journal of Physiotherapy, 60(3), 122–129. doi:10.1016/j.jphys.2014.06.022
Santana, J. A., Mabrouk, A., & Sherman, A. l. (2022). Jumpers Knee. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532969/
Theodorou, A., Komnos, G., & Hantes, M. (2023). Patellar tendinopathy: an overview of prevalence, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, 143(11). doi:10.1007/s00402-023-04998-5