Running and Your Knees

Many people think that participating in regular running programs will destroy their knees, but experts agree that running, if done properly, will actually strengthen knees and other joints.

Studies show that people who run have fewer knee problems compared to those who are less active. Running is also shown to reduce the rate and onset of conditions such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Doctors do warn, however, that people who have sustained traumatic knee injuries will probably be subject to more chronic injuries if they run on a regular basis.

Even healthy people can experience pains from running but research shows that most running injuries involve hip muscle weakness. If you are taking up running or are already running, you will definitely benefit from hip muscle strengthening exercises.

Also, structural imbalance or misalignment can also cause knee pain, so if you run and do happen to feel pain, you should talk to a doctor or see a specialist to figure out where the imbalance is coming from.

As long as you have good alignment and are supplementing your runs with weight strengthening exercises, you should be able to run, pain-free, for decades!