The high knee march to hands is marching on the spot with a target. You hold both arms straight out in front of you, angled down a little, and lift each knee in turn until it rises to meet your hands. Your hands show you how high to lift, so each knee comes up to the same height. It works the front of the hip, and every lift asks the standing leg to balance you for a moment.

How to do the high knee march to hands

Stand tall with your feet about hip width apart, next to a wall or counter you can touch if you need it, as the voice guide suggests.
Raise both arms straight in front of you and angle them down a little, so your hands sit at about waist height.
Lift one knee up toward your hands, as high as you can without leaning back. In the video the thigh rises to about hip height.
Lower that foot gently to the floor, then lift the other knee to the same height.
Keep alternating at a steady pace, standing tall, with your arms held still.

What you should feel

Work at the front of the hip each time the knee rises, steady effort in the standing leg and hip, and a light effort in your shoulders from holding your arms out.

Common mistakes

Dropping your hands down to meet the knee instead of lifting the knee higher.
Leaning back or rounding your lower back as the knee comes up.
Swaying your body toward the standing leg.
Stamping each foot down as it lands.

How often

Many programs start with 10 to 20 knee lifts on each leg, or 30 to 60 seconds of marching, for 2 or 3 rounds, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
You feel close to losing your balance, even with the support near you.
A sharp pinch in the groin, or sharp pain in the hip, knee or lower back.
Chest pain or pressure, dizziness or feeling faint, a racing or irregular heartbeat, or being far more out of breath than the effort should cause.

From the clinic

The man in the video marches without a wall, while the voice guide says to use one if you need it. Start next to a wall or kitchen counter with one hand resting on it, and hold just the other arm out as your target. March without the support only once you feel steady. If your knee cannot reach your hands yet, set your hands lower, where the knee can meet them, and raise them as your hips get stronger.

Standing marching is the slower, supported version, and marching on the spot lets the arms swing freely instead of using them as a target. Clear rugs and cables from around you. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. If you have fallen in the past year or often feel unsteady, keep a hand on the support throughout and ask your physio to check your balance first.

A sudden loss of balance is different. Call emergency services straight away for any sign of a stroke, even if it goes away: sudden dizziness with unsteadiness or falling over, a face that droops on one side, an arm you cannot lift or keep up, slurred or muddled speech, weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face, sudden blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight, or a sudden severe headache.

If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the high knee march to hands. Lifting the knee up to meet your hands can bend the hip past a right angle, and many surgeons ask you to avoid that for the first months after some operations.

If chest pain, pressure or tightness does not ease quickly when you rest, spreads to your arm, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, feeling light-headed or being short of breath, call emergency services straight away, as this can be a heart attack. If it eases quickly and none of these happen, get medical advice the same day, and do not exercise again until you have been checked.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

High knee march to hands