Step up and over means stepping onto a low step with one foot, rising up on that leg, then carrying the other leg over and down to the floor on the far side. You then turn around and cross back the other way. The leg on the step straightens your hip and knee to lift you, then works again to let you down gently on the other side. What it adds to the ordinary step up is that slow, controlled step down.

How to do the step up and over

Stand facing a low, solid step that cannot slide, with a wall, rail or counter beside you to touch. The step in the video is a low exercise platform.
Set one foot flat on the step with the heel on too, then push down through it to straighten that leg and rise up.
Carry the other leg over the step without touching it, and lower it slowly to the floor on the far side. The leg still on the step controls the way down.
Bring the first foot off the step to join the other one, so you stand tall with the step behind you.
Turn to face the step again, shuffling your feet round rather than pivoting, and cross back. Share the reps so each leg leads the same number of times, unless your physio says otherwise.

What you should feel

Most of the effort sits in the leg on the step. The front of its thigh and its buttock work as it lifts you, and again as it lowers you on the far side.

Common mistakes

Bouncing off the floor foot, so the leg on the step does less of the lifting.
Dropping down onto the far side instead of lowering slowly.
Letting the working knee roll inward as you rise or lower.
Picking a step so tall that you have to throw your body forward to get up.

How often

Programs often begin with 2 sets of 5 to 8 step-overs leading with each leg, on a low step, building toward 3 sets. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain in your knee or hip, or your knee gives way.
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.
Your foot catches on the step, or you wobble so much that a fall seems likely. Stop and sit down.
Your calf or thigh becomes swollen, warm, tender, red or darker than usual, or has a throbbing or cramping pain that feels different from normal muscle ache. Stop and get medical advice the same day, as this can be a blood clot. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call emergency services.
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

Set the step beside a wall, a stair rail or a kitchen counter, so one hand can touch it on the way up and on the way down. The man in the video has no support nearby, but at home keep one within reach and clear the floor on both sides of the step. 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 feel unsteady, hold the support the whole time and have someone nearby for the first sessions.

Stepping up and over, rep after rep, raises your heart rate more than it looks. With a heart condition or high blood pressure, check with your doctor before you start. 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.

If you have had a hip or knee replacement, get the go-ahead from your surgeon or physio before you try step up and over. Some operations limit this kind of work for the first months, so the timing depends on your surgery. After a broken ankle or leg, or any other operation on your leg or ankle, wait until your surgeon or physio clears you to put your full weight on it before you start any step work.

If the controlled step down is hard, spend longer on the ordinary step up first. The crossover step-up is a sideways version your physio may add later.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

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.

Step up and over