Running and Knee Pain
It's a common misconception that knee pain and running go hand in hand, but in reality, injury is often caused by improper form or overuse. When done correctly, running can actually help strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and improve joint health overall.
To prevent knee pain, it's important to address these misconceptions and incorporate strength training or cross-training into your routine.
Additionally, wearing the appropriate shoes, warming up and stretching, and gradually increasing your mileage are all important preventative measures.
By following these tips, you can reduce your risk of knee pain and continue to enjoy the sport of running.
Misconceptions about running and knee pain
It's a common misconception that running leads to knee pain, but the reality is that it can actually strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and improve overall joint health. The issue is often related to overuse or improper form, which can lead to injury and pain.
Addressing common misconceptions surrounding knee pain and running is important to help individuals fully enjoy the sport. Many people think that running can cause long-term damage to their knees, but this is not necessarily true. Poor form or overuse can cause knee pain, but running can strengthen the muscles around the knee and improve joint health.
It's also commonly believed that knee pain means you should stop running entirely, but this isn't always true. Listening to your body is important, but small adjustments to your training routine, like incorporating strength training or cross-training, can alleviate knee pain and allow you to continue running.
Lastly, knee pain can affect anyone who runs, not just older individuals or those with pre-existing conditions. Wearing proper footwear and gradually increasing mileage are preventative measures that can help reduce the risk of knee pain.
Overall, knee pain and running don't have to be mutually exclusive. By debunking these common misconceptions and taking steps to prevent and alleviate knee pain, individuals can continue to enjoy the many benefits of running.
How to avoid knee pain during running
If you're a runner experiencing knee pain, it's great to know that running can actually improve joint health by strengthening the muscles around the knee joint. However, it's crucial to be mindful of overuse and improper form, which can lead to issues down the road.
To prevent knee pain, ensure you have the right shoes with good support and consider running on soft surfaces like grass or dirt. It's also important to properly warm up before and stretch after each run to prevent muscle strains and support healthy joints.
Lastly, incorporating strength training exercises into your routine can build strong leg muscles and further help prevent knee pain. Following these tips allows you to continue to enjoy your runs without worrying about knee pain.
I have some tips to help you stay injury-free and enjoy your runs even more!
Dynamic warm-up. These are stretches that are moving rather than holding the stretch. Below is my mobility warm-up as a circuit.
Start slow - do not start with sprints. Start with a slow pace so that you can comfortably hold a conversation. Then, gradually increase your speed with each run.
Start small - start with small distances or short-timed runs. Then, slowly increase your distance and/or time.
Get good quality running shoes. Think about the terrain you’re running on and the support your feet need. Head to your local running store for proper measurements and recommendations if you are unsure how to decide what running shoes you should get.
Also, track how many miles you’ve run on your shoes; it is recommended to run 300-500 miles on one pair of shoes. The Nike Run Club app has an area where you can input your shoes, and when you complete a run using the app, it will keep track of how many miles you have run on your shoes.
Keep in mind that old shoes can cause knee pain and increase your risk of injury as well.
Incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Improving muscle strength will help to improve your runs and decrease your likelihood of injury.
My Experience
I began running at the beginning of 2023. I ran solely on my treadmill and had no structure for my runs. I ran after my strength training workouts for a set amount of time. Half the time, I walked.
Looking back helped me start slow when training for a marathon in June 2023. I started using the Nike Run Club App and the 18-week marathon training program to structure my running training around my strength training workouts.
There was a point that I was consistently repeating a week of the program. So, I set a date for my run (my personal marathon run, no formal race) and restructured my strength training to optimize my marathon training.
Then I ran a long run of 8 miles during the 14 weeks to go in the training program, and I had to slow WAYYYY down because my knees started hiring. IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY SHOES. I never tracked how many miles I ran on my shoes. I had them for years. I had no issues for a long time since I followed all my tips, starting slow, warming up, and strengthening training.
Once I realized my knee pain was due to my shoes, I immediately bought some new shoes. I purchased the shoes that I know work well for me and some trail runners to try out since my long runs are run on a trail.
Bottom Line
Running is not the cause of knee pain. It could be several factors, and seeing a medical professional can help you determine if any underlying conditions need to be addressed. Overall, running has been shown to improve your knee and ankle health, and if you follow my tips: start slow, start small, get a good pair of shoes, and strength train, you will be able to improve your longevity in terms of knee and ankle health, among all the other benefits of exercise in general.
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