Blog · Joints

Is strength training good for arthritis?

By the Calm Joints physio team · Updated November 10, 2026 · 7 min read

Yes. Systematic reviews and major guidelines show that resistance training reduces pain and improves strength and function in people with knee or hip osteoarthritis.^[1][2][4] It is recommended as a core treatment, ideally started with guidance from a physiotherapist so the load matches your joints.^[5][6] This is educational information, not personal medical advice.

Stronger muscles around a sore joint share the work. That can mean less pain with stairs, standing from a chair, or carrying groceries. The benefit shows up across many trials, not just one study.

Why does strength training help arthritis?

Muscles act like shock absorbers and stabilisers. When they are weak, more force goes through the joint itself. Strength training builds that support. Improving strength does not “cure” the cartilage change, but it often makes daily life easier.

Arthritis Society Canada notes that strengthening exercises help protect joints, improve independence, and can reduce pain, and recommends including muscle-strengthening work in any plan for osteoarthritis.^[7] Canadian and international guidelines treat structured exercise, including strengthening, as a first-line approach for knee and hip osteoarthritis.^[5][6]

What the research says

• A 2024 meta-analysis in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy covered 46 studies and over 4,000 people with knee osteoarthritis. Resistance training improved symptoms, function, and lower-limb strength compared with inactive treatments, with programs of 4 to 8 weeks showing particularly clear benefits.^[1]
• Another 2024 review of 27 studies (1,712 people) found resistance training improved pain, strength, and function for both knee and hip osteoarthritis.^[2]
• A 2025 dose-response analysis reported that resistance training reduced osteoarthritis pain, with an optimal range rather than “more is always better.”^[3]
• A large 2024 Cochrane review of exercise for knee osteoarthritis (139 trials, more than 12,000 people) found that land-based exercise probably improves pain and physical function in the short term compared with usual care or no treatment.^[4]
• OARSI’s consensus on delivering therapeutic exercise emphasises individualisation, an adequate dose (often two or more times per week), and education so people can manage short-term increases in symptoms. NICE guidance also recommends tailored exercise, including local muscle strengthening, and notes some increase in pain is common when starting.^[5][6]
• Arthritis Research Canada highlights that appropriately prescribed strength training is safe and beneficial for people with rheumatoid arthritis too.^[8]

Adverse events in these studies are usually mild and temporary (muscle soreness). Serious joint damage from properly progressed strength training is rare in the published trials.

Is strength training safe if I have arthritis?

For most people with stable osteoarthritis, yes, when the program is matched to the person. Start with lighter loads or body weight, control the movement, and progress only when the exercise feels manageable. Sharp pain, locking, or swelling that lasts more than a day or two is a signal to stop and get advice.

Muscle soreness (a normal delayed response after new work) feels different from joint pain that worsens with repeated loading. A physiotherapist can help you tell the difference. People with significant joint instability, recent surgery, or uncontrolled inflammatory arthritis should get individual clearance first, and strength training is not appropriate during an acute hot, swollen flare until that settles.

How often and how hard should I train?

Major guidelines suggest strength work at least twice a week, on non-consecutive days, for the major muscle groups around the affected joints.^[5][6] Intensity is usually described as challenging but controlled: the last few repetitions feel difficult, yet form stays good. Consistency and gradual progression matter more than the exact load.

Sessions can be short. Many effective programs use 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions per exercise, with rest between sets. Include the muscles that matter most for your joint: quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals for the knee or hip; rotator cuff and shoulder-blade muscles for the shoulder. Combine with some aerobic activity (walking, cycling, swimming) and mobility work. The best program is the one you can keep doing.

If you want a plan built around your knees, see is walking good for knee arthritis and is walking good for hip arthritis. Calm Joints also covers whether virtual physiotherapy works.

Try this today

These are simple, low-equipment options many people with arthritis can start at home. They are educational examples, not a personal program. Stop if you feel sharp pain, instability, or anything that feels wrong. Do them on non-consecutive days, start with one set, and add a second only when the first feels comfortable. Warm up with a few minutes of easy walking or marching in place.

1. Sit-to-stand from a chair

Sit in a sturdy chair with feet flat. Lean slightly forward from the hips and stand up, using your hands on the chair only if needed. Lower slowly. Aim for 8 to 10 controlled repetitions. Use a higher chair or armrests if standing is hard. Stop if the knee or hip feels sharp or unstable.

2. Glute bridge

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Gently squeeze your buttocks and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold a second, then lower. Do 8 to 10. Keep the movement small if your back is sensitive. Stop if you feel pinching in the front of the hip.

3. Wall or counter push

Stand facing a wall or sturdy counter, hands at shoulder height. Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the surface, then push back. Keep your body straight. Do 8 to 10. Stop if the shoulder feels sharp.

4. Seated band pull-apart (if you have a light band)

Sit tall. Hold a light band with both hands in front of you at chest height, arms straight. Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return slowly. Do 8 to 10. Skip if you do not have a band or if the shoulders are very irritable.

When to see a physio

Book a visit if pain is limiting your walking, stairs, sleep, or work; if you are unsure how to start safely; or if symptoms are not settling after a couple of weeks of careful activity. A registered physiotherapist can assess your movement, show you the right loads for your joints, and build a simple plan you can do at home.

Calm Joints visits are virtual, with registered physiotherapists, for people across Canada. Book a virtual visit at calmjoints.org. Many extended health plans cover physiotherapy, including virtual visits.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Dose-response relationships of resistance training in adults with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. 2024.
2. The effects of resistance training on pain, strength, and function in osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2024.
3. Optimizing resistance training for pain management in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a pairwise and dose-response meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health. 2025.
4. Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2024.
5. Recommendations for the delivery of therapeutic exercise for people with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (OARSI). 2023.
6. Osteoarthritis in over 16s: diagnosis and management. NICE guideline NG226. 2022.
7. Physical Activity Guide. Arthritis Society Canada.
8. Strength Training resources. Arthritis Research Canada.

Keep reading

This article is for education. It is not personal medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan for you. A physiotherapist or physician who can assess you is the right person to diagnose joint pain. In an emergency, call 911.