Does running hurt your knees?

Running is a very good form of exercise. It not only promotes health, but also has great benefits for weight loss. Therefore, running is a method of exercise chosen by many exercisers. Some other runners are worried that running will cause damage to the knees. Is this worry necessary? Does running hurt your knees? Let’s look at the explanation given by health experts.

Generally speaking, the more you run, the more important the performance of your shoes becomes. A pair of professional running shoes is very important for people who run regularly. The reason why running shoes are different from other sneakers is that they take into account the particularity of the sport of running and adopt a special design that is different from other sneakers. They also have unique functions and provide runners with a movable cushioning platform. The most important function of a pair of running shoes is to reduce the vibration when the foot lands and reduce damage to the feet, knees and legs.

Football shoes are not suitable for long-distance running. First of all, the thickness of the sole is the same at the front and back, and the heel is usually the first part to touch the ground during long-distance running. Football shoes cannot provide additional cushioning for the heel. Second, the spikes on the soles of football shoes make the soles higher, there is no connection between the spikes, the directions of the forces are inconsistent, and the center of gravity of the foot is easy to move. It is not obvious on grass, but on hard ground, it is very easy to cause sprains.

In addition, running also needs to be considered based on the conditions of the road surface. Choosing a softer road surface can also reduce damage to the knees and ankles. If ranked from soft to hard, it is: dirt road surface > rubber track > asphalt road > cement road.

Another situation that can cause potential damage to the knees is downhill running. When running downhill, the ground impacts your feet, ankles, knees, and legs with a greater force than your body weight. Correspondingly, when running uphill, the impact force will be smaller. If the section of the road you are running is downhill and you are not careful about your running method, you may also cause harm to yourself.

So my advice to friends who think long-distance running is harmful to the knees is: get a pair of real running shoes and choose a path that suits you.

It can be seen from this that under normal circumstances, running will not cause damage to the knees. However, if the running posture is incorrect, or the running volume is too much, or the wrong running shoes are chosen, it is possible to cause damage to the knees. Therefore, friends must pay attention, master the correct running method and posture, and determine the running volume according to their physical condition to avoid knee injuries.