The single leg drop squat is a quick knee bend on one leg that you stop sharply before standing back up, with a hand on a chair for balance. It trains the thigh and hip muscles to catch your body weight fast while the knee stays in line over the foot. You use the same braking every time you land, change direction or step down. It usually comes after slow single leg squats feel easy.

How to do the single leg drop squat

Stand side-on to a sturdy chair back or a kitchen counter and rest the nearer hand on it, with your feet about hip width apart.
Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other foot just off the floor, as in the video.
Keep your back straight and your chest up. Let yourself drop quickly into a small bend at the hip and knee, then stop sharply and hold still for a moment.
As you stop, check that your kneecap points over your second toe and has not rolled inward.
Straighten back up. You can stay on the one leg for the set, as in the video, or put the other foot down between drops, as the voice guide says. Change legs after the last drop if your program covers both sides.

What you should feel

Quick, hard work in the front of the thigh and the buttock of the standing leg as you brake, with the side of the hip holding the knee steady.

Common mistakes

The knee collapsing inward at the moment you stop.
Dropping deeper than you can stop cleanly, so the drop turns into a slow sink or a wobble.
Tipping the trunk forward or to one side as you catch yourself.
Pulling yourself back up with the arm on the chair.

How often

Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 drops on each leg, with a rest between sets, two or three times a week. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in the knee, or pain around the kneecap that builds with each drop.
The knee gives way, or you lose your balance even with your hand on the support.
Your knee swells up, locks or catches, during the drops or later that day.
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.

From the clinic

The voice guide describes a different setup: the heel of the standing foot rests on a slope or a rolled towel, and you drop until the knee bends to a right angle. In the video he stands on a flat floor and drops only a short way, and the steps above follow him. The voice guide treats the raised heel as the starting point and the flat floor as the next stage. How deep to drop, and whether to use a towel under the heel, is for your physio to set for your knee. Start shallow and keep a hand on the support for every drop.

This is a later-stage knee exercise. It usually follows the slower supported single leg squat, which trains the same knee position without the speed. The drop landing, stepping off a low step onto both feet, trains the same braking with more impact.

Use a heavy chair or a counter that will not move, on a clear floor. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet. If you have had a fall in the past year or often feel unsteady, ask your physio whether this exercise suits you before you try it.

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.

After a knee fracture or knee surgery, including a knee replacement, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and start this exercise only when they have cleared you. After a knee ligament reconstruction, ask them when quick work on one leg is allowed at your stage. If you have had a hip replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try the single leg drop squat. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery.

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.

Single leg drop squat