How to Do High Knees: Proper Form & Low-Impact Option

High knees are a fast-paced bodyweight exercise that combines running in place with alternating knee drives.

The movement can raise your heart rate quickly while challenging your rhythm, coordination and lower-body endurance. It also requires very little space, making it useful for PE classes, group fitness sessions, home workouts and BoardGains games.

Your knees do not need to reach your chest or even hip height for every repetition. Good posture, quick foot contacts and controlled landings matter more than forcing maximum height.

This guide explains how to perform high knees with proper form, count each repetition and use knee marches as a lower-impact modification.

Written by Eric Mathura, B.Sc. Kinesiology and CSEP-CPT, with more than 10 years of experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Updated August 18, 2026.

Watch: How to Do High Knees

Table of Contents

• What Are High Knees?
• How to Do High Knees
• How to Count Repetitions
• Knee Height, Posture and Landing
• Muscles Worked
• Benefits
• Knee-March Modification
• Variations
• Common Mistakes
• Group Coaching Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Are High Knees?

High knees are a running-in-place exercise in which you quickly alternate lifting your knees toward the front of your body.

The arms usually move in an opposite arm-and-leg pattern:

• Right knee lifts as the left arm moves forward.
• Left knee lifts as the right arm moves forward.

High knees can be performed slowly as a march or faster as a running drill. The faster version includes repeated impact and requires more landing control.

How to Do High Knees With Proper Form

1. Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Look forward and keep your chest lifted.
3. Bend your elbows to approximately 90 degrees.
4. Brace your core without holding your breath.
5. Lift your right knee toward a comfortable height.
6. Drive your left arm forward as the right knee rises.
7. Return your right foot underneath your body.
8. Lift your left knee while driving your right arm forward.
9. Land lightly and continue alternating at a steady pace.
10. Increase your speed only while you can keep your posture and landings controlled.

How to Count High-Knee Repetitions

Each knee drive counts as one repetition.

• Right knee = 1 rep
• Left knee = 2 reps
• Right knee = 3 reps

A right and left knee together equal two total reps—not one.

During BoardGains, continue alternating until you complete the number shown on the board.

High-Knee Form Tips

How High Should Your Knees Go?

Lift each knee only as high as you can without leaning backward, rounding forward or losing your rhythm.

Hip height can be a useful target for some participants, but it is not a requirement. A lower, controlled knee drive still counts.

Forcing the knee toward the chest may change your posture and make the landing harder to control.

Should You Lean Forward?

Keep your torso mostly tall. A very small forward lean may happen as your pace increases, but avoid folding at the waist or looking down at the floor.

Imagine that your head is moving straight upward while your feet run underneath you.

How Should Your Arms Move?

Bend your elbows and pump your arms forward and backward from the shoulders. Avoid swinging your arms across the front of your body.

Use the opposite arm-and-leg pattern you would use during running. The arm movement should support your rhythm instead of pulling your torso from side to side.

How Should You Land?

Return each foot underneath your hips and land quietly through the front or middle of the foot. Allow your heel to lower naturally instead of forcing yourself to stay on your toes.

Keep a small bend in your knee and avoid slamming your foot into the floor. If the landing becomes loud or heavy, reduce your speed or switch to knee marches.

Should High Knees Be Fast?

High knees can be performed at different speeds. Start slowly enough to control the knee height, arm pattern and landing.

Once the movement feels steady, increase the pace without sacrificing posture. Faster is only better when the form stays strong.

What Muscles Do High Knees Work?

Hip Flexors

The hip flexors lift each thigh toward the front of the body.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps help lift and control the legs while supporting each landing.

Calves

The calves help push your feet away from the floor and control the quick ground contacts.

Hamstrings and Glutes

The hamstrings and glutes assist with the running action and help control the hips.

Core Muscles

Your abdominal and back muscles help keep your torso and pelvis steady as your arms and legs move.

Shoulders and Arms

The shoulders and arms contribute to the running rhythm, but high knees are not mainly an upper-body strength exercise.

Benefits of High Knees

Raises Your Heart Rate

Fast, continuous high knees can quickly increase your heart rate and breathing rate. The intensity depends on the pace, duration and knee height.

Builds Lower-Body Endurance

The hips, thighs and calves work repeatedly to lift and return the legs.

Challenges Rhythm and Coordination

The opposite arm-and-leg pattern requires the upper and lower body to work together.

Requires No Equipment

High knees can be performed in a small workout area without machines, weights or other equipment.

Easy to Adjust

Participants can change the pace, knee height or duration. They can also switch to knee marches when a lower-impact option is needed.

Works Well in Group Circuits

Everyone can move at the same time, making high knees useful for PE, bootcamps, sports teams and fitness games.

High knees can support cardiovascular conditioning as part of a complete exercise program, but one drill alone cannot guarantee weight loss, better running form or protection from injury.

Knee-March Modification

Knee marches keep one foot on the floor and reduce the impact and speed of the exercise.

1. Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Bend your elbows beside your body.
3. Lift your right knee toward a comfortable height.
4. Move your left arm forward.
5. Place your right foot back on the floor.
6. Lift your left knee while moving your right arm forward.
7. Continue marching with control.

Each knee lift counts as one repetition. Participants can lightly hold a stable wall or chair when additional balance support is needed.

High-Knee Variations

Slow High Knees

Use a jogging pace instead of an all-out sprint. Focus on smooth arm action and controlled landings.

Pause High-Knee March

Pause for one or two seconds at the top of each march. This adds a balance challenge without increasing the impact.

Fast High Knees

Increase the pace while keeping the knee height comfortable and the feet landing underneath the body.

Lateral High Knees

Travel a few steps to the side while performing high knees. Use this variation only when the exercise area is clear.

High Knees With an Overhead Reach

Reach both arms overhead and pull them downward as each knee rises. This changes the arm pattern and increases the coordination demand.

Common High-Knee Mistakes

Forcing the Knees Too High

Trying to reach the chest can cause the torso to lean backward or collapse forward.

Fix: Use the highest knee position you can reach while staying tall and controlled.

Leaning Backward

Leaning backward may happen when the participant tries to force a higher knee lift.

Fix: Reduce the knee height and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.

Folding Forward

Bending at the waist changes the movement and may cause the feet to land too far ahead.

Fix: Keep your chest tall and look forward.

Landing Too Hard

Heavy foot contacts can occur when the pace is too fast or the feet land far from the body.

Fix: Slow down, land underneath your hips and aim for quieter steps.

Reaching the Feet Forward

High knees are a running-in-place movement, not repeated forward kicks.

Fix: Lift the knees upward and return the feet underneath your body.

Swinging the Arms Across the Body

Cross-body arm swings can pull the torso from side to side.

Fix: Pump the arms forward and backward.

Starting Too Fast

Beginning at maximum speed can cause posture and landing quality to break down quickly.

Fix: Find the rhythm first, then build the pace.

Using Ankle or Wrist Weights

Adding weights to the arms or ankles can change the fast running pattern and make the movement harder to control.

Fix: Increase the pace or work time instead of attaching weight to moving limbs.

How Long Should You Do High Knees?

High knees are usually performed in short rounds rather than long, continuous sessions.

• Beginners: 2–3 rounds of 15–20 seconds
• General fitness: 3–5 rounds of 20–40 seconds
• Rep-based workouts: 10–30 total knee drives
• BoardGains games: Complete the number shown during play

Stop or switch to marches when the feet begin landing heavily, posture changes or coordination breaks down.

How to Coach High Knees in a Group

High knees work well in group workouts when every participant has a clear exercise space.

1. Give everyone enough room to pump their arms.
2. Demonstrate the movement from the front and side.
3. Explain that each knee drive counts as one rep.
4. Show the knee-march option before starting.
5. Make knee height optional.
6. Ask participants to land quietly.
7. Encourage opposite arm-and-leg movement.
8. Use short work periods for beginners.
9. Keep game pieces and equipment outside the running area.
10. Prioritize posture and rhythm over maximum speed.

High Knees in BoardGains

High Knees are one of the 20 bodyweight exercises included in the BoardGains Pro Edition.

When a player lands on High Knees:

1. Stand tall in a clear workout area.
2. Alternate lifting the knees.
3. Pump the opposite arm.
4. Count each knee drive as one repetition.
5. Use knee marches when a lower-impact option is needed.
6. Complete the total shown and continue playing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What counts as one high-knee repetition?

Each knee drive counts as one rep. A right knee followed by a left knee equals two total repetitions.

Do my knees have to reach hip height?

No. Lift each knee to the highest position you can control without leaning, swinging or landing heavily.

Are high knees a cardio exercise?

Yes. Fast, continuous high knees can raise your heart rate and breathing rate. The intensity depends on your speed, duration and knee height.

Are high knees high impact?

The running version includes repeated impact because both feet leave and return to the floor. Knee marches keep one foot grounded and reduce the impact.

Can beginners do high knees?

Yes. Beginners can use knee marches, a lower knee height or shorter work periods.

Should I land only on my toes?

Land softly through the front or middle of the foot and allow the heel to lower naturally. Avoid balancing only on the tips of your toes.

Why do my hip flexors get tired?

The hip flexors repeatedly lift the thighs. Reduce the knee height, slow down or shorten the work period if fatigue changes your posture.

Can high knees help with running?

High knees use an opposite arm-and-leg pattern and can be included in running drills. However, one drill alone cannot guarantee better running form or faster performance.

Can high knees help me lose weight?

High knees can contribute to total physical activity and energy use. Weight change depends on many factors and cannot be guaranteed by one exercise.

Should I use ankle or wrist weights?

They are not needed. Attached weights may change the fast arm and leg action. Increase the work time or pace gradually instead.

Can I do high knees every day?

Training frequency depends on intensity, volume, other activities and recovery. Lower-impact marches may be tolerated more often than repeated fast running.

What should I do if high knees cause pain?

Stop if you feel sharp, increasing or unusual pain. Switch to a comfortable no-jump movement or choose another exercise.

Final High-Knee Form Checklist

• Stand tall
• Look forward
• Brace the core
• Lift each knee to a controlled height
• Pump the opposite arm
• Return each foot underneath the body
• Land softly
• Breathe continuously
• Use marches when needed
• Count each knee drive as one rep

Keep it quick and controlled: run tall, pump your arms and land quietly.

Exercise References

• American Council on Exercise: High-Knee Running
• American Council on Exercise: Jump and Landing Guidance