If you’ve been told that exercise can help your knee osteoarthritis (OA) but the thought of lifting weights or hitting the gym turns you off, you’re not alone. A common question we hear is:
“Can I just do yoga instead of gym-based strengthening exercises for my knee pain?”
The answer is: Yes, you can — and it can work just as well.
What the Study Found
A 2025 clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open put this exact question to the test. Researchers ran a 24-week randomized controlled trial with 129 adults diagnosed with knee OA in Tasmania, Australia. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups:
- A yoga group, which participated in a structured yoga program designed specifically for people with knee OA
- A strengthening group, which followed a physiotherapist-led program focused on improving muscle support around the knee
Both groups followed the same weekly structure for the first 12 weeks:
- 2 in-person group sessions per week
- 1 guided home session per week
After week 12, participants transitioned to fully home-based programs for the remaining 12 weeks, using video instructions and weekly support emails to stay on track.
Researchers assessed outcomes like knee pain, physical function, stiffness, walking ability, quality of life, and mental health at multiple checkpoints over the 24 weeks.
Key Results
- Both groups experienced clinically meaningful reductions in pain after 12 weeks.
- Yoga was just as effective as strengthening exercises in reducing pain (noninferior).
- At 24 weeks, the yoga group showed slightly greater improvements in:
- Pain, stiffness, and physical function (WOMAC scores)
- Quality of life (AQoL-8D and EQ-5D scores)
- Walking speed (40-meter fast-paced walk)
- Depression symptoms (PHQ-9 scores)
- Adherence to the home program was higher in the yoga group than in the strengthening group.
- Both interventions were considered safe, though minor side effects like soreness or strain were slightly more common in the yoga group (possibly due to unfamiliar poses).
Why Yoga Might Work for You
Yoga isn’t just stretching—it’s a complete practice that combines:
- Gentle, joint-friendly movements
- Breath control for stress management
- Mindfulness, which can positively impact how we experience pain
- A holistic focus on both mental and physical well-being
This unique combination may explain why participants in the yoga group also saw improvements in depression and mood, which are common challenges in people living with chronic joint pain.
Bottom Line
If traditional gym workouts aren’t your style, yoga offers a proven, joint-friendly alternative for managing knee OA. This study shows it can be just as effective for pain relief as strengthening exercises—and might even deliver extra benefits in mental health and mobility over time.
Just make sure to follow a program adapted for arthritis or work with a trained professional who understands joint safety.
Reference:
Abafita, B. J., Singh, A., Aitken, D., Ding, C., Moonaz, S., Palmer, A. J., … & Antony, B. (2025). Yoga or Strengthening Exercise for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 8(4), e253698–e253698.
