No squats, no lunges, no jumping

Why squats and lunges are the moves that hurt

For most sore knees, walking itself is fine. What hurts is a deep bend under load: a squat, a lunge, a step down. Those moves press the kneecap hardest into the joint, which is why plenty of workouts that call themselves low impact still leave knees aching. The workouts here skip them entirely.

How to use them

Keep the steps small at first and let the pace, not the depth, set the effort. Wear supportive trainers, keep a chair nearby for balance, and stop if a joint hurts rather than just works. If you have had surgery or have a diagnosed condition, check with your physio or doctor first.

Knee-friendly walking workouts

Every one of these says no squats or no lunges in its own description, and none of them jumps.

20 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 2450 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges20 min · 2,450 steps · no jumping 30 Min 3500 Steps Workout — Beginner walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, to the beat30 min · 3,500 steps · no jumping 20 Min 2350 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism20 min · 2,350 steps · no jumping 40 Min 5000 Steps Workout — No squats, no jumping, no lunges, fat-burning walking at home40 min · 5,000 steps · no jumping 30 Min 4000 Steps — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - low impact walking workout at home30 min · 4,000 steps · no jumping 15 Min 1800 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism15 min · 1,800 steps · no jumping 15 Min 1800 Steps Workout — Beginner walking dance workout, full body, knee-friendly, no jumping16 min · 1,800 steps · no jumping 30 Min 4000 Steps — Fun & easy beginner Christmas walking dance workout, no jumping, knee-friendly30 min · 4,000 steps · no jumping 20 Min 2500 Steps Workout — Beginner walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, full body burn20 min · 2,500 steps · no jumping 10 Min 1400 Steps Workout — Country walking dance workout, no jumps, no squats, Thanksgiving Special10 min · 1,400 steps · no jumping 45 Min 5000 Steps Workout — Beginner walking dance workout to burn calories (knee-friendly)45 min · 5,000 steps · no jumping 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3600 steps with small weights or bottles, no jumps, no squats, no lunges30 min · 3,600 steps · no jumping 20 Min 2400 Steps — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - easy low impact walking workout20 min · 2,400 steps · no jumping 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3760 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges30 min · 3,760 steps · no jumping 10 Min 1000 Steps Workout — Low-impact walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, body wake up10 min · 1,000 steps · no jumping 10 Min 1200 Steps Workout — Full body wake up cardio, no jumps - no squats - no repeats10 min · 1,200 steps · no jumping 20 Min 2450 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism20 min · 2,450 steps · no jumping 20 Min 2600 Steps Workout — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - full body beginner walking workout20 min · 2,600 steps · no jumping 45 Min 6000 Steps — Pregnancy-safe cardio, standing full body walking workout - no jumps & no squats46 min · 6,000 steps · no jumping 24 Min 2800 Steps Workout — Standing barre & walking cardio, dancer sculpt, no jumps, no squats24 min · 2,800 steps · no jumping 30 Min 3600 Steps — No squats, no jumps, no lunges - fun beginner walking workout for full body30 min · 3,600 steps · no jumping 30 Min Zone 2 Walk — 3750 steps, full body cardio, no squats, no jumps, no equipment30 min · 3,750 steps · no jumping 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3760 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges30 min · 3,760 steps · no jumping

Every knee-friendly workout in the library

All 23 of them, newest first. Each opens on its own page with the length, step count and impact level.

• 30 Min 3600 Steps — No squats, no jumps, no lunges - fun beginner walking workout for full body 30 min
• 30 Min Zone 2 Walk — 3750 steps, full body cardio, no squats, no jumps, no equipment 30 min
• 45 Min 6000 Steps — Pregnancy-safe cardio, standing full body walking workout - no jumps & no squats 46 min
• 20 Min 2600 Steps Workout — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - full body beginner walking workout 20 min
• 30 Min 4000 Steps — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - low impact walking workout at home 30 min
• 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3600 steps with small weights or bottles, no jumps, no squats, no lunges 30 min
• 20 Min 2400 Steps — No jumps, no squats, no lunges - easy low impact walking workout 20 min
• 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3760 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges 30 min
• 30 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 3760 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges 30 min
• 30 Min 4000 Steps — Fun & easy beginner Christmas walking dance workout, no jumping, knee-friendly 30 min
• 20 Min 3x3 Japanese Walk — 2450 steps, beginner walking workout - no jumps, no squats, no lunges 20 min
• 20 Min 2450 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism 20 min
• 20 Min 2500 Steps Workout — Beginner walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, full body burn 20 min
• 24 Min 2800 Steps Workout — Standing barre & walking cardio, dancer sculpt, no jumps, no squats 24 min
• 15 Min 1800 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism 15 min
• 45 Min 5000 Steps Workout — Beginner walking dance workout to burn calories (knee-friendly) 45 min
• 20 Min 2350 Steps Workout — No jumps & no squats walking workout for easy digestion and metabolism 20 min
• 10 Min 1200 Steps Workout — Full body wake up cardio, no jumps - no squats - no repeats 10 min
• 40 Min 5000 Steps Workout — No squats, no jumping, no lunges, fat-burning walking at home 40 min
• 10 Min 1000 Steps Workout — Low-impact walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, body wake up 10 min
• 30 Min 3500 Steps Workout — Beginner walking workout, no jumps, no squats, no lunges, to the beat 30 min
• 10 Min 1400 Steps Workout — Country walking dance workout, no jumps, no squats, Thanksgiving Special 10 min
• 15 Min 1800 Steps Workout — Beginner walking dance workout, full body, knee-friendly, no jumping 16 min

Browse another way

• All workouts
• 30-minute walks
• 20-minute walks
• 15-minute walks
• 10-minute walks
• Indoor walking
• No jumping
• Beginners
• Over 50
• Gentle & over 60
• 1,000+ steps
• 2,000+ steps
• 3,000+ steps
• 4,000+ steps
• 5,000+ steps
• 7,500+ steps
• Dance, no jumping

Free walking calculators