Is Running Bad For The Knees?

Back To Health Wellness's Thought For The Day

Some say, Running wears your knee joints away, leading to early onset of knee pain and arthritis. Some say, that’s rubbish and that running can help prevents knee pain and arthritis…

What do you think?

For those that say running is bad,

I ask what about walking? After all the mechanisms are the same.

Even excessive walking, done incorrectly, without good form or good support in terms of footwear, can also lead to knee pain, hip and back problems.

Is walking bad for the knees? Ofcourse not! So why is the general consensus that walking is promoted, and running is demoted?

There is plenty of evidence to say that the benefits of running far outweigh the risks, and that includes the effect on your knees.

Running and walking both involve the foot striking the ground with force during the loading phase…

Many knee issues are caused by weaknesses elsewhere, which introduce instability further down the legs. The Hips and glutes are particularly guilty of leading to knee issues, while tight hamstrings also shift the impact of running to the knees.

So if your hearing this, and you are thinking this may be me, then its quite possible that it’s not running that’s is the problem.

If you feel pressure or pain in the knee during a run, try the following :-

1. Stretch - do a few stretches for the lower back and legs and see if the pressure of pain eases
2. Check your posture -

A slight change to your posture from the head down can have an impact on the load through the knee and thus, your running technique.

Keep your posture straight and erect .1 keep your head up, your back straight, and shoulders level. Make sure you're not leaning forward or back at your waist, this can happen during the run as you get more tired.

When you feel yourself slouching, correct your posture. Wear good running shoes that can help reduce the impact of the heel strike when running.

Running is a dynamic and full bodied workout that compounds health and fitness in a way that walking alone cannot.

If your goal is to run, but you cannot because your knees hurt, try applying the advice above, if that does not work, consult with your practitioner, whether they are a physio, chiro, osteo or massage therapist, as they can make an assessment of your pain, check for possible injury, and recommend any changes or exercises that might help get you running the way you would love to.