How to run without damaging your knees?

Keep your knees soft and bent during the landing and support phases of your stride. Many runners over stride and straighten their leg in front of them as they land. This is very high impact and can cause pain and injuries. Having the right cadence is also important, many runners' cadence is too slow, ideally it’s thought the best cadence is around 180 for both legs. If you have a slow cadence it’s easier to over-stride and heel strike. So keep your leg turnover faster by taking shorter steps at slower speeds and gradually lengthening the stride behind you as go faster all the while keeping the cadence the same. Have more of a circular leg action, many runners have a pendulum leg action as they run, instead keep your knees soft and slightly bent. Don’t heel strike, try to land whole foot and under the knee, and have a whole body lean from the ankles. Foot position is also important, many runners have their feet turned out to the side as they run, it’s best to have the feet pointing in the direction of travel. To get the feet landing straight ahead in the direction of travel rotate the entire leg until your foot is facing forward.

Stretch the Muscles around Your Knees Before running, make sure to do a light warm-up followed by some stretching. Important muscle groups to focus on if you’re concerned about your knees include the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Contracting the opposite muscle group at the same time can help improve your ability to stretch those muscles. Strengthening is very important, including not only hamstrings and quadriceps, but also the core and glutes. Plyometric strength, which involves jumping or explosive movements, can also contribute to injury prevention. Light weight training twice a week for as little as 10 to 15 minutes can also be very helpful. Especially if you are injury prone, it is wise to mix in other forms of cardio into your routine a few times a week. This can help to ease repetitive strain. Cycling is one option. Stay Hydrated No matter what exercise you do, it is important to stay hydrated for optimal muscle function and health. Make sure to have a tall glass of water before you hit the pavement and immediately after you get home.

If you take it slowly and run with good form, running may offer some protection in the fight against osteoarthritis. Supporting your knee joints by strengthening the surrounding muscles is your best course of action when it comes to knee injury prevention. Doing a regular strength and conditioning session several times a week, including exercises such as single-leg squats, walking lunges, single-leg deadlifts, and planks, will target key running muscles – including your glutes, quads, hamstrings and core – and stronger muscles will help to stabilise your knee joints while you run. When running, your back should be straight with your shoulders relaxed and down, and you should be looking ahead, rather than down at the ground. Overstriding can also be a cause of knee injury while running. Instead, try taking shorter, quicker strides, keeping your feet below your centre of gravity and thus increasing your cadence. The surfaces you run on can have a big impact on the health of your knees. If you’ve been struggling with knee pain and tend to run on pavements or hard, tarmac surfaces, consider switching to trails or grass. Your diet can have an impact on joint health, so make sure yours is filled with foods that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Eating plenty of oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, as well as lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and pulses can help to reduce joint inflammation, keeping your knees healthy. Knee injuries tend to be more prevalent in those who overtrain or who do too much too quickly, going from zero to marathon in the blink of an eye. Your rest days are as important as your running days, as they’re the days when your muscles repair and adapt to the training you’ve been doing. To avoid overtraining, it’s a good idea to follow a training plan that’s suitable for your experience level, so you build up those miles at a sensible rate.

Invest in proper footwear, the foundation of a pain-free run starts with the right pair of running shoes. Ill-fitting or worn-out shoes can contribute to misalignment and increased stress on your knees. Visit a specialty running store to get professionally fitted for shoes that suit your foot type and running style. Warming up before a run is often overlooked but plays an important role in preventing knee pain. Engage in dynamic stretches and light cardio exercises to increase blood flow to your muscles and improve joint flexibility. A strong set of leg muscles acts as a natural shock absorber, reducing the impact on your knees. Incorporate strength training exercises into your routine that focus on the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Running with improper form can place unnecessary stress on your knees. Focus on maintaining a relaxed posture, landing softly on your midfoot, and keeping your knees slightly bent to absorb shock. Gradually increase your running intensity, duration, and frequency to allow your muscles and joints to adapt. Listen to your body and incorporate rest days into your schedule to prevent overuse injuries. Maintaining a healthy body weight can significantly reduce the risk of knee pain while running. Combine regular exercise with a balanced diet to achieve and sustain a weight that is optimal for your body. Improving your flexibility is essential for preventing knee pain and enhancing your overall running performance. Include regular flexibility exercises, such as yoga or pilates, to enhance joint mobility and reduce muscle tightness.

To run without damaging your knees, you should strengthen the muscles around the knee and prevent knee pain. These exercises strengthen all the muscles supporting the knee and stretch out the iliotibial band, known as the ITB, which runs down the outside of the thigh. They can be done as part of your warm-up before a run or as a cool-down routine after a run, outside or indoors, or whenever is most convenient. Wall squats can help, where you stand a foot away from a wall with your knees hip-width apart and your feet pointing slightly outwards, then slide your back down the wall by slowly bending your knees. Do not let your knees go past your toes, and let the knees point in the same direction as your toes. As you come up, focus on tensing the muscle above your knee and your buttocks. You can also try squats, where you lower yourself as if you're going to sit down, by bending your knees to no more than a right angle, keeping your back straight and not letting your knees go past your toes. Additionally, lunges can help, where you stand in a split stance and slowly bend the knees, lowering into a lunge until the right leg is nearly at a right angle, keeping the weight on your heels and pushing back up to the starting position.