Body & Balance Studio
Posture scan

Standing Knee Bend

Also known as: flexed-knee stance, genu flexum.

What it is

A standing knee bend is a resting flexion of the knees rather than a relaxed, near-straight stance. It can reflect tight hamstrings or hip flexors, weak quadriceps, or a habitual posture, and adds continuous quadriceps load.

How to spot it

From the side the knee is visibly bent in a relaxed stance. The scan measures the hip–knee–ankle angle’s deviation from straight.

Muscles involved

Muscles involved in Standing Knee Bend, front view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Front (anterior) view
Muscles involved in Standing Knee Bend, back view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Back (posterior) view

Coral = typically tight, teal = typically weak. Anatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Typically tight: hamstrings, hip flexors, gastrocnemius

Typically weak: quadriceps

How to correct it

  • Stretch the hamstrings and calves.
  • Strengthen the quadriceps; retrain a tall, stacked stance.
Knee Extension Stretch (Genu Flexum)stretch · kneeBanded Ankle Mobilization & Calf Foam Rollmobilize · knee
hamstringship flexorsgastrocnemiusquadriceps

Educational wellness content — not a diagnosis. See a clinician for pain or concerns. Run a posture scan to check your own alignment.