What is the difference between High Knees and jogging in place?

High Knees drive each thigh up to about hip height in a quick, springy rhythm, while Jogging in Place keeps a normal running stride with a much lower knee lift. The extra height makes High Knees harder on the hip flexors and raises the heart rate faster.

How long should I do High Knees?

Most workouts use intervals of 20 to 45 seconds followed by an equal or longer rest, and beginners usually start at 20 to 30 seconds. In a warm-up, one or two short sets are enough to raise your heart rate without tiring your legs before the main session.

Are High Knees good for abs?

They work the abs, but only in a supporting role: the abdominals brace to keep the torso tall and the pelvis steady while the knees rise. They will not burn fat from the belly specifically, because fat cannot be lost from one chosen area.

How can I make High Knees low impact?

Take the bounce out and switch to Marching in Place, still lifting each knee toward hip height but keeping one foot on the floor at all times. It keeps the knee drive and much of the cardio effect while removing the repeated landings.

Should I hold my hands out or pump my arms?

Both are correct. Holding your hands out at hip height with palms down gives each knee a target and keeps the height consistent as you tire, while pumping your arms like a sprinter lets you move faster and suits a running warm-up.

High Knees

What Are High Knees?

High Knees are a compound exercise that primarily targets the cardiovascular system and also engages the hip flexors, calves and core. They are a beginner-level movement, and how hard they feel depends on the pace, the knee height and the length of the set. You run in place and drive each knee up to about hip height, landing lightly on the balls of your feet, so they need no equipment and only a few feet of floor.

High Knees raise the heart rate quickly, which is why they show up so often in warm-ups and in bodyweight interval circuits. Runners use them in a dynamic warm-up before speedwork or races to rehearse a tall posture and a quick, active knee drive, and team-sport athletes use them the same way before practice. In a conditioning session they are usually done for short timed intervals with rest in between rather than as steady, continuous work.

The hip flexors do most of the lifting, with the rectus femoris at the front of the thigh among them, while the calves spring you off the floor on every contact and the glutes and abdominals keep the pelvis and trunk steady over the standing leg. The version shown here holds both hands out in front at hip height, palms down, as a target the knees must reach, which keeps the height honest as you tire. Pumping the arms like a sprinter instead lets you move faster and suits a running warm-up, and a traveling version moves forward across the floor as a running drill.

Two gentler exercises lead up to High Knees. Jogging in Place keeps a normal running stride with a lower knee lift, and Marching in Place keeps one foot on the floor at all times and removes the bounce. Beginners, heavier clients and anyone returning from a lower-leg injury can build up through those two first, while fitter clients who want more intensity can move on to High Knee Jump Rope or explosive jumps such as the Tuck Jump.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Rectus Femoris: Primary
Gastrocnemius (Lateral Head): High
Gastrocnemius (Medial Head): High
Sartorius: High
Soleus: High
Gluteus Medius: Medium
Tensor Fasciae Latae: Medium
Vastus Lateralis: Medium
Biceps Femoris: Low
Rectus Abdominis: Low

Instructions

Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart and your weight toward the balls of your feet.
Hold both hands out in front of you at about hip height, palms facing down and elbows slightly bent.
Brace your core lightly, keep your chest up and look straight ahead.
Drive one knee straight up until your thigh is about level with your hip and touches your palms.
Bring that foot back down quickly and land softly on the ball of the foot, directly under your hip.
As it lands, drive the other knee up to your palms the same way.
Keep switching legs in a quick running rhythm, staying on the balls of your feet with the standing heel off the floor.
Keep your torso upright the whole time, without leaning back or lowering your hands or chest to meet your knees.
Continue for the set time, then slow to a march before you stop.

Common Mistakes

Knees stay low
Letting the thighs drop well below hip height to go faster turns the drill into jogging in place and takes most of the work off the hip flexors.
Leaning back
Tilting the torso backward to get the knees higher shortens the real knee drive and shifts strain to the lower back.
Landing on the heels
Striking the floor heel first sends a jolt through the shins and knees and breaks the quick rhythm.
Heavy, loud landings
Stomping instead of landing quietly on the ball of the foot raises the impact on the shins, Achilles tendons and knees with every step.
Bringing the target down
Lowering the hands or hunching the chest toward the knee fakes the height the hand target is there to enforce.

Injuries

High Knees are a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. They use only body weight, but every step is a small landing, so a long set means hundreds of contacts through the feet, shins and knees. The areas that most often complain are the shins, the Achilles tendons and calves, the front of the knee and, when the torso leans back to lift the knees higher, the lower back.

Land softly on the balls of your feet with each foot under its hip, keep the torso tall, and wear supportive shoes on a hard floor or train on a forgiving surface. Build the total time up over a few weeks rather than jumping straight into long intervals, especially if you are new to impact work or have recently increased your running.

If the impact is too much, switch to Marching in Place, which keeps the knee drive without the bounce, or to Jogging in Place with a lower knee lift. To progress, lengthen the work intervals, shorten the rest, quicken the rhythm, or move on to High Knee Jump Rope. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the shin, knee, Achilles tendon or front of the hip, and stop right away with chest pain, unusual shortness of breath or dizziness.

Overview

Primary Focus: Cardio
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Cardio
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between High Knees and jogging in place?: High Knees drive each thigh up to about hip height in a quick, springy rhythm, while Jogging in Place keeps a normal running stride with a much lower knee lift. The extra height makes High Knees harder on the hip flexors and raises the heart rate faster.
Q: How long should I do High Knees?: Most workouts use intervals of 20 to 45 seconds followed by an equal or longer rest, and beginners usually start at 20 to 30 seconds. In a warm-up, one or two short sets are enough to raise your heart rate without tiring your legs before the main session.
Q: Are High Knees good for abs?: They work the abs, but only in a supporting role: the abdominals brace to keep the torso tall and the pelvis steady while the knees rise. They will not burn fat from the belly specifically, because fat cannot be lost from one chosen area.
Q: How can I make High Knees low impact?: Take the bounce out and switch to Marching in Place, still lifting each knee toward hip height but keeping one foot on the floor at all times. It keeps the knee drive and much of the cardio effect while removing the repeated landings.
Q: Should I hold my hands out or pump my arms?: Both are correct. Holding your hands out at hip height with palms down gives each knee a target and keeps the height consistent as you tire, while pumping your arms like a sprinter lets you move faster and suits a running warm-up.