Avoiding pain in the knees
- Thread starter alfinoba
- Start date
All of the above. You nailed it.
Running off road and using a treadmill will both allow you to have a somewhat softer surface to run on.
Better shoes will fix any mechanical issues you might have while providing motion control and stability.
Technique will allow you to minimize impact.
I think having realistic running goals would be another factor. A perfect example is my neighbor. He's 30 pounds overweight and decided he wanted to drop that weight by running... every day. You can't go from zero to 7 days a week. Set a goal and stick to it. Consistency is the key.
they have low-impact treadmills. amazingly they do seem to help....I have one for the winter time and it is much easier on the knees......
S
sparrow
Guest
wow I've noticed the opposite. I have much more knee and shin pain when I use the tread than when I'm on the road
just curious.....which one do you use? I have a low impact NordicTrack Incline Trainer X5. For me it definitely has less of a jolt than running on the pavement......The thing I hate about treadmills is it is an unnatural pace. You get use to it, but If I could, I would prefer to run on the road.....
S
sparrow
Guest
Our gym has Precor and every single one of them is different as far as the jarring goes. Guess it depends on their maintenance.
Maybe it is a matter of the machine. It was something we specified when we were looking for one......
Thanks guys
It seems everything is kind of fixable with the exception of the technique. How do I improve it? Do I have to get myself a video camera and let somebody that knows what he/she is doing to analyze it?
Most gyms have mirrors. If you can get on a treadmill that allows you to watch yourself, you want to make sure you don't bounce. Most men are stompers. What I mean is... big strides, high impact, and lots of bobbing up and down (boucning). You want to shorten your stride and increase your turnover. This is a good place to start.
Beyond that, there are various styles of running... mid-foot, pose, heal strike, chi, etc. I don't even want to go down that road because it's Pandora's box. I think most styles will agree that high turnover and low impact is the way to go. Work on that and then you can look into the different styles.
I am someone who has had four knee surgeries on the same knee, and now no cartilage... oh yeah, I went through a police academy which ran 5 days a week, and ended with a ten mile run. So I know a thing or two about knee pain and how to help it. And by the way, I have run a 5k in 20:20 while weighing 180, and I am faster now; so I run enough to give some advice I think:
The first thing is to reduce the days or your running by one day - to start. The academy KILLED my knee running EVERY day, and some in the snow.
The second thing that I do even now - I take glucosamine/chondroitin pills. They seem to help - whether it is real or psychological I don't know, but i rarely have knee pain while running now.
The third - a high quality running shoe with plenty of comfort.
And the forth - which came from a friend of who was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team for the 800m - try to be 'lighter' on the feet - don't go hard on the heels, use a lot of calf to absorb your weight like a shock, and then push off with the calf as well.
I only run two days a week doing HARD intervals - HIIT work. My times are dropping very nicely.
Just my thoughts from experience.
The first thing is to reduce the days or your running by one day - to start. The academy KILLED my knee running EVERY day, and some in the snow.
The second thing that I do even now - I take glucosamine/chondroitin pills. They seem to help - whether it is real or psychological I don't know, but i rarely have knee pain while running now.
The third - a high quality running shoe with plenty of comfort.
And the forth - which came from a friend of who was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team for the 800m - try to be 'lighter' on the feet - don't go hard on the heels, use a lot of calf to absorb your weight like a shock, and then push off with the calf as well.
I only run two days a week doing HARD intervals - HIIT work. My times are dropping very nicely.
Just my thoughts from experience.
I've just recently added jogging to my routine & as I increase my time / distance
I started getting the knee pains as well. warm up & cool down stretches are essential
(ITB stretching / hammies / quads etc.)
and as mentioned above - as your body adapts, youll gradually adjust.
good luck !
I started getting the knee pains as well. warm up & cool down stretches are essential
(ITB stretching / hammies / quads etc.)
and as mentioned above - as your body adapts, youll gradually adjust.
good luck !