Your knee aches after a run, complains on the stairs after leg day or feels stiff after sitting through a long film. When you are active in your 20s, knee pain can feel like an unwelcome interruption. Building knee strength now can help you keep doing what you enjoy for years to come.

Why knees ache in young, active people

The most common type of knee pain in young, active people is pain around or behind the kneecap. Research suggests it affects around one in five people each year, and it is especially common in people who run, play sport or train in the gym.

This kind of pain usually comes from the load going up faster than the knee can adapt. A jump in running distance, a new training programme, more stairs or squats, or a return to sport after a break can all tip the balance. The knee is usually irritated rather than damaged, and it is not a sign that your knees are wearing out early.

What tends to bring it on

Front of knee pain often flares with:

• Running, especially downhill.
• Squats, lunges and jumping.
• Going up and down stairs.
• Sitting with your knees bent for a long time.

Noticing which activities bring on your pain helps you know what to adjust.

Adjusting rather than stopping

Most people do not need to stop being active. Instead, you could adjust what you do for a while:

• Reduce your running distance or swap some runs for cycling or swimming.
• Squat to a box or bench to control the depth.
• Swap forward lunges for reverse lunges, which usually put less load on the front of the knee.
• Choose flatter running routes.

The aim is to find the amount of activity your knee is comfortable with now, and build from there.

Building knee strength

Strengthening the muscles around your hips and knees is one of the most effective ways to ease front of knee pain. Research suggests combining hip and knee strengthening works better than knee exercises alone. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Sit to stand or box squats, lowering slowly.
• Reverse lunges, going only as deep as feels comfortable.
• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower slowly.
• Side-lying leg lifts. Lie on your side and slowly lift your top leg, then lower.
• Wall sits. Lean against a wall with your knees bent and hold for 30 seconds.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of sit to stands, lunges and bridges you can use at your own pace.

Reading how your knee responds

A mild ache during exercise that settles by the next day is usually fine. Check how your knee feels the following morning. If it is sorer, ease back a little next session. Once your knee has been comfortable for a week or so, you could add one thing at a time, like more distance, depth or weight.

Running and sport

If you run, a few changes can ease the load on your knees:

• Build your weekly distance gradually.
• Take slightly shorter, quicker steps.
• Rotate between two pairs of running shoes if you can.

If you play sport, a short warm-up with some jogging, side steps and gentle jumps can help your knees get ready for quick changes of direction.

Sitting for long periods

Long spells of sitting with your knees bent, like in lectures, at a desk or on a long journey, can make the front of your knee ache. Straightening your legs every so often, or getting up for a short walk, can help.

Building for the long term

The strength and habits you build in your 20s can help protect your knees for decades. Keeping strength work in your routine, even when your knees feel fine, is one of the best long-term investments you can make.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you notice how your knees respond to changes in training.

What to take away

• Front knee pain is common in active young people and usually settles.
• Adjust activity rather than stopping completely.
• Strengthen both your hips and knees two or three times a week.
• Build running and training gradually.
• Keep strength work going for the long term.

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