Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Running And Your Knees - Demythified!!

Running is Good for your knees and joints - go forth and run!!

Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas concluded in a study in 2014 that regular running can prevent a person's chance of developing painful osteoarthritis - Read more
Running lowers inflammation in the knee joints – concludes a study at Brigham Young University – Dec 2016. Read more
Dr. Stephen G. Rice, Director of Sports Medicine at Jersey Shore University Medical Center:
The person who is active and fit and moving around is doing the most active defense against arthritis. There's a happy medium between whether you run smart, slowly building up your endurance, and stay active, and if you put extra force on your knees.
Some people who are genetically set up for arthritis, and no matter how well they run, they will end up developing arthritis.

Dr. Michelle Wolcott, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine:
If you haven't had an injury, a broken bone or a ligament injury where you are predisposed to arthritis, then your chances of creating arthritis are minimal.
We know that weight-bearing exercise, such as running, helps prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Repetitive weight bearing and motion are good for the joints, and running essentially does that.


Some basics for great knees
Proper training programs.
Rest days - critical for protecting the knees.
Running form is key in avoiding knee problems.
Running when injured can cause serious damage.
All runners need strength training.
Every run should include stretching.
The surface you run on, matters - mix the surfaces. Cross country running also helps rehab and strengthening, given the non repetitive nature of the foot strike on an uneven surface.

Use your common sense and listen to your body. Ease into running gradually and feel the difference.


 

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