Whether you're a seasoned runner, a regular runner, or just starting out, there's no denying it: It's a highly effective exercise. And as a result, it's earned a reputation for being hard on your joints. But is running bad for your knees or joints? While research shows that running can actually improve your joint health, it can also be damaging to your knees, hips, and other joints, especially if you overuse it.
ContentsHow Running Helps Your JointsIs Running Bad for Your Knees: A WarningHow Runners Can Protect Their Knees and Joints
But that doesn't mean you should give up this workout. WomanEL will tell you what you can and can't do for those who want to start running.
How running helps your joints
Running is not harmful to your knees or other joints – as long as you follow some simple training. “Studies show that in most cases, joints can tolerate and recover without problems after a single run, as well as after a running program up to a marathon distance,” says doctor of physical education Jean-François Escoulier. What’s more, he notes that “running can help joints stay healthy and even improve their condition if done correctly.”
Just as your muscles adapt by getting stronger, “joints can adapt to running.” That’s why runners can start out running for just five minutes and then run a half or full marathon in a few months or years,” says Dr. Escoulier. “However, this process happens much more slowly than it does for muscles and bones.”
Studies show that frequent, short runs are most beneficial for joints. Regardless of the type of running surface, people who run four times a week (for example, twice for 30 minutes and twice for 15 minutes) are less likely to suffer from injury than those who run once or twice a week for an hour each time.
Trainer Scott K. Greenberg agrees that running itself is not bad for your knees and joints. “There are studies that have shown a higher incidence of knee osteoarthritis in people who are sedentary compared to runners,” says Dr. Greenberg.
“When you look at running-related joint injuries, cartilage damage, and osteoarthritis, the best evidence suggests that running in general is not a causative factor. Unless you’re doing a very high volume of running,” says exercise physiologist Brian Heiderscheit. He means really high volumes: people who run “multiple marathons and over 100 miles a week for weeks and years,” he says.
Is running bad for your knees: a warning
Once again, running isn't necessarily bad for your knees and joints, and if done correctly, it can actually be good for them. But if that's the case, why do so many runners suffer from runner's knee and other similar problems?
The joint most at risk for injury or irritation while running, according to Dr. Heiderscheit, is the knee. “Because of the motion and the loads that go through it, the knee is exposed to a lot of forces during running. If those forces become too high or too frequent, it creates a fatigue effect on the tissues,” he says.
But while the knee can be injured while running, it’s also usually the first joint to start hurting when a runner starts to feel the overall wear and tear on their body due to poor running habits. So it’s not so much that running is bad for your knees, but that “too much of anything is bad, and running is no exception,” says Dr. Greenberg.
When it comes to knee and joint problems from running, the biggest mistake people make is “too much, too fast, too soon,” says Dr. Greenberg. That is, they increase speed or volume before their bodies are properly prepared.
“If your body’s tissues can’t handle the strain, your joints and tissues are at risk,” says Dr. Greenberg. Two types of runners are particularly at risk of pushing their bodies beyond what their joints can handle? They are “elite” runners, who maintain very high training loads for years, and recreational runners, who continue to run despite joint pain.
An effective strategy is to work to reduce the risk of such injuries. And the best way to do this is to take your time. “The speed and volume of exercise should be increased gradually,” says Dr. Greenberg. In addition, in order to preserve the health of the joints, it is necessary, according to him, to “protect and increase the potential of tissues.” For example, follow the correct form of running, wear comfortable shoes, do strength training and have a full rest.
How runners can protect their knees and joints
You've probably noticed one theme in the expert advice: increase mileage and speed slowly, over a long period of time. In addition, Dr. Escoulier lists four key strategies for beginning runners to consider:
- Increase the amount of running you do on a run/walk program and alternate between slow runs and walking.
- Run frequently and for shorter periods of time.
- Aim for a high cadence, which means faster and shorter strides (for example, about 180 steps per minute, or three steps per second).
- Run “softly,” trying to land with a low impact.
Runners should also focus on strength training. “Strengthen the tissues with a comprehensive strength program that includes unilateral loading and strengthening of the foot and ankle,” advises Dr. Greenberg. Each tissue has its own “break point,” says Dr. Greenberg. “However, building capacity can help better protect the tissues and allow them to better handle the load.”
Running form is the final piece of the puzzle. Dr. Greenberg notes that it’s impossible to completely eliminate stress from your run. But, Dr. Greenberg says, if you run with good posture and mechanics, it will help distribute the load more evenly throughout your body and transfer it to the tissues that are best able to handle it.
Of course, running is not for everyone, which is why it is so important to consult your doctor before starting.
The bottom line? You should also not believe the myth that running is bad for your knees and that all runners are doomed to knee or joint problems. By following a few simple rules, you can continue running for as long as you like.
Is running really better than cycling? Will it help you lose weight faster? Here's what we found out.