One of the simplest and most impactful reminders I tell clients is to keep your knees soft. If you’re a studio regular, you know.
Soft knees simply mean keeping a slight, relaxed bend rather than locking them straight. Soft knees are the missing link to true core stability – when your knees stay responsive, your core stays engaged, giving you strength and control in every movement. It’s a small adjustment that makes a big difference—allowing your body to be adaptive, absorb movement smoothly, and shift with ease instead of resisting.
Soft knees keep you mobile and ready, allowing movement to flow naturally. In contrast, locked knees create a rigid stop, making it harder to adjust, absorb impact, or shift smoothly when needed.
You want energy to flow freely, letting you adjust with ease when you shift. Locked knees block that, making every adjustment harder. Soft knees keep you responsive and ready. It’s not just about staying balanced—it’s about being able to flow with balance, to redirect as needed, and to move naturally when you shift your weight.
Stand up and give it a try. Experiment with the idea and see if you get the feel.
When you keep your knees soft, you’re allowing your joints and muscles to work together smoothly. Instead of locking out and forcing tension through your knees, a slight bend keeps the muscles in your legs—especially your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves—engaged and responsive. This distributes force more evenly through your body, reducing strain on your joints and allowing for better shock absorption. And because soft knees encourage a more natural alignment of your hips and ankles, it can make transitions between movements smoother.
How About a Sporty Stance?
Think about athletes—baseball players, for example. Whether it’s a second baseman, a shortstop, or an outfielder, they never stand stiff with locked knees. Instead, they’re always in a position of readiness, knees slightly bent, weight available to shift in any direction. How about tennis? Skiing? You definitely don’t want to lock your knees on the slopes. I call that a sporty stance. That’s what makes them able to react instantly, to load and unload their weight smoothly.
We may not be diving for ground balls in everyday life, but we’re constantly shifting—getting up from a chair, stepping off a curb, reaching for something or walking on uneven ground. When your knees are soft, your body can absorb and respond instead of resisting and bracing. It helps distribute your load by anchoring you back to the ground. That helps your movement flow more naturally.
A Simple Check-In for Soft Knees
So how do you make soft knees a habit? Awareness. The best way to build awareness is with checkpoints throughout your day. Here are a few ways to remind yourself:
• Before you start moving: Whether you’re getting up from a chair or stepping into a new position, do a quick mental check. Are your knees locked? Unlock them before you shift.
• When you feel unsteady: If you ever feel wobbly or unsure on your feet, check your knees. A soft bend gives you a better foundation for adjusting and regaining control.
• During simple tasks: Cooking, washing dishes in the sink, brushing your teeth, folding laundry—these everyday activities are a great time to practice. Stand with soft knees and notice how much more connected and stable you feel.
• Walking or stepping off curbs: Before you take a step, especially on uneven ground, remind yourself to keep those knees available for movement. It makes stepping smoother and prevents jolting impact on your joints.
• After long periods of sitting: If you’ve been sitting for a while, your knees might naturally stiffen. Before you stand, take a breath and soften your knees. Make the movement feel easy rather than forced.
The Power of Staying Ready
If you’ve ever tripped and caught yourself without falling, that’s soft knees at work. If you’ve ever moved something heavy without feeling like you were going to topple over, same thing. It’s about awareness and allowing your body to adapt, rather than forcing it into a rigid stiffness.
Soft knees aren’t just about avoiding falls (though they help with that too). They make everyday movement easier and keep you feeling strong, capable and better grounded. The more you practice, the more natural it becomes.
So next time you move—whether it’s stepping, shifting, lifting, or even just standing—check-in: Are your knees soft? If not, try it. Feel the difference. It helps you move with ease and with confidence and in a way that keeps you ready for whatever comes next.