Is running on concrete bad for joints?
Katrina West
2025-07-31 03:19:19
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Continuously hitting your feet on the ground can cause harm to your knees, hips, and lower back. Injury risks are considerable if you run for a long period on a hard surface. Concrete floors are hard and they can take a toll on the body because of their inflexible surface. Standing, walking, or running for a long time on concrete can initiate or cause knee pain. Yes, there certainly is increased shock placed through the feet and legs while running on hard surfaces. Doing so without footwear on will have the highest amounts of forces generated through the leg, as the feet and muscles of the lower leg absorb the impact with the ground. Wearing shoes while doing so will reduce the impact through the feet and legs while impacting the ground. Using orthotics inside your shoes will further decrease the shock placed through the leg when making impact with the ground due to its shock-absorbing materials.
Wanda Orn
2025-07-21 23:07:48
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Lots of studies show that runners have lower instances of knee osteoarthritis than sedentary people. There are also papers which show that runners report less knee pain than sedentary people, and being a runner is linked to reduced disability in later life. Overall, the message from the research is that running is a good thing. Chances are, you’re still thinking of this condition – the most common form of arthritis in the UK – as something associated with your knees wearing out over time, a process that endless pavement pounding would probably exacerbate. Now, it’s better understood as a disease of the entire joint, including bone, cartilage, ligaments, fat and tissue. And here, running can be protective, rather than dangerous. A recent meta-analysis, for instance, found that changes to cartilage in the knee joint after running are temporary, and some researchers suggest that running might actually condition cartilage, leading to better overall knee health. Other studies suggest that runners are less likely to develop osteoarthritis and have a lower rate of hip replacements, in part due to their lower BMI.
Erin Block
2025-07-17 11:32:20
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Running on hard surfaces can sometimes lead to more stress and result in injuries like inflation in the achilles tendon, shin splints and stress fractures in the small bones of the foot or ankle. Concrete is the least forgiving of running surfaces, according to Timothy Noakes, author of “Lore of Running.” When running on concrete, the ground doesn’t absorb any of the shock that travels through a runner’s feet, knees, hips and lower back. This can lead to an increased injury risk. Concrete should typically be avoided when possible.
Idella Mosciski
2025-07-10 20:00:16
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The answer is no. Yes, this may not be the crystal-clear answer you’re looking for, but navigating the line between using the roads to help versus harm you is actually quite simple. The idea that running is innately bad for the knees and will cause arthritis is completely false. There is great evidence to show that those who have a consistent, safe running habit result in a lower prevalence of arthritic complications and knee-related pathologies. In other words, if you run smart, your knees will be in better shape than someone who is sedentary all day. Now, the question is… does this evidence still apply to those who solely run on concrete. It will completely depend on their training habits.
Onie Baumbach
2025-06-29 11:13:00
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Frequently running on hard surfaces like pavement can cause injury and pain. However, some of the best long-distance runners avoid training on hard surfaces, as frequent pavement running can lead to injury over time. The risks of pavement running include that concrete or asphalt is the hardest, these surfaces create the maximum force. This force can significantly impact bones, tendons, and joints and may increase the chances of injury. Knee pain, for instance, is a common side effect of long-distance running. Other common injuries on pavement include shin splints, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon injuries, and stress fractures. The pressure applied by the knee can lead to soreness and tendon injuries in the knee and foot. Meniscus tears and tendon pain are also common. As concrete pavements are the hardest surfaces available, the force generated is much higher. Therefore, running several miles per day on such a surface increases the chances of injury.
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