"My favorite knee-strengthener"—an expert trainer shares her favorite 15-minute leg workout, featuring her go-to move for knees

Sore knees are a common problem, but why? And is there anything you can do about it?

Trainer Carrie Baxter from fitness app Mvmnt says painful knees are typically caused by inflammation, prolonged overuse or fatigue, previous injury, or simply tightness around the joint. "Weakness, tightness or imbalances in the surrounding muscles, especially the hamstrings and glutes, is another common culprit," says Baxter.

The remedy? "Variety," says Baxter. "I don't personally believe that there is a one-size-fits-all workout that will strengthen every knee, but workouts that evenly target the quads, hamstrings, calves and glutes should address any deficiencies in your setup."

There should be one constant though—some variation on the glute bridge. "The glute bridge is my favorite knee-strengthener," says Baxter. "It targets the hamstrings and glutes but also creates space and improves mobility in the front of the body for a double dose of benefits."

To get going, try this follow-along workout from Baxter. "These exercises will target everything from the feet up and the hips down," says Baxter. "We'll focus on strengthening the glutes and hamstrings, but also on increasing mobility through the hips and incorporating single-leg work to improve balance and stability."

How to do this knee-strengthening workout

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Baxter recommends repeating this knee-strengthening workout 1-2 times per week. To ensure progression, she suggests increasing the number of reps you aim to complete in each working set. "If you're an advanced mover, you can also add a light dumbbell to some of the exercises to make them more challenging," says Baxter.

For the final exercise, a relatively spicy and long-lasting reverse lunge into knee drive finisher, Baxter says there is no obligation to include a small hop with each rep. If, however, you feel up to it, this extra dynamic effort will help build power as well as strength, while getting your pulse racing to improve cardiovascular fitness too.

Here's an overview of what you're doing in the workout.

1. Single-leg balance

• Stand tall and raise one leg off the floor.
• Focus on gripping the floor with your toes and keeping your eyes on one point in front of you to help maintain balance.

2. Single-leg glute bridge hold

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Lift one foot and drive through the heel of the other foot to raise your hips until your body is a straight line from shoulders to knee.
• Hold this bridge position until Baxter tells you to switch sides.

3. Crab reach

• Sit with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and one palm on the floor behind you.
• Engage your core and lift your hips.
• Lower under control.

4. Curtsy lunge

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping your torso upright, step your right foot behind your left foot and out to the left-hand side, bending both knees to lower until your right knee gently taps the floor.
• Press through your left foot to return to the start.

5. Curtsy into reverse lunge into knee drive

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keeping your torso upright, step your right foot behind your left foot and out to the left-hand side, bending both knees to lower until your right knee gently taps the floor.
• Press through your left foot and move your right foot to the right, so your feet are staggered, but shoulder-width apart.
• Press through your left foot and raise your right leg in front of you so your right thigh is parallel with the floor and hold for 2-3 seconds.

6. Y squat hold

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Raise your arms to form a Y shape.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, ideally until your hips are in line with your knees, or as far as your mobility allows.
• Hold this position, keeping your torso upright.

7. Beast hold

• Start on all fours with hands below shoulders and knees below hips.
• Lift your knees just off the floor.
• Hold this position, keeping your back flat and core engaged.

8. Reverse lunge into knee drive

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot back and bend both knees until your right knee gently taps the floor.
• Press through your left foot and raise your right leg in front of you so your right thigh is parallel with the floor.
• If feeling confident, jump straight up off your left foot.
• Land on your left foot with a slight bend in your knee to cushion the impact, and continue straight into the next rep.