My knees hurt when I run, what should I do? In addition to running, you also need to do these 3 things

Manager Wu works as the general manager in the catering industry. His only hobby is long-distance running. Therefore, even though he is nearly 50 years old, he has not been troubled by middle-aged obesity and still maintains a very good figure.

Manager Wu always starts his runs at 10-20 kilometers, and often uses his vacation time to participate in marathon competitions in various places. The Facebook posts are full of documentary photos of participating in various competitions at home and abroad.

His problem in recent months is that his knees start to feel uncomfortable whenever he runs more than five to six kilometers. Even if he forces himself to run further, he can only last about 10 kilometers. Compared to his previous level, his running speed is at least half as good. He saw several doctors and had some tests done, but no abnormalities were found in his joints. Almost every doctor gave him the following advice:

"Just rest more and stop running for so long."

Manager Wu came to my clinic looking very frustrated and wanted to ask if I had any good suggestions.

Cases like Manager Wu's are not uncommon, and there are always several every month. That day, in addition to helping Mr. Wu deal with his tendon inflammation, I also gave him three suggestions:

1. In addition to running training, muscle strength training is also important.

When the running trend first became popular 50 years ago, even runners only practiced running and completely ignored strength training. The myth at the time was that strength training would limit the muscle's ability to contract and would affect running performance. Today, science has confirmed that strength training is an indispensable element in a runner's core training skills. Good muscle strength can help you prevent injuries. Only with sufficient muscle strength can you correctly master running techniques and realize your running potential.

When jogging, the impact force of landing is about 1.5 times the body weight, and even up to 3 times the body weight when sprinting. For a person weighing 70 kg, your body needs to be strong enough to withstand the impact of a 210 kg landing. For beginners or those who do not run regularly, the impact of insufficient muscle strength may not be obvious. Because insufficient cardiopulmonary capacity alone can leave you breathless. However, insufficient muscle strength can make the body unstable and unable to maintain the correct posture and technique when running, making it easy to get injured in the long run.

2. In addition to paying attention to the "quantity" of running training, we should also pay attention to the "quality" of running training.

Most running injuries come from the long-term accumulation of poor running techniques. Usually when an injury occurs, because of the pain, most people will rest or seek medical assistance and wait until the pain subsides before starting to run again. However, due to the lack of correction of running techniques and knowledge, sports injuries often occur again and again, creating a vicious cycle that becomes a long-term problem over time. Knee pain after running is mostly caused by over-striding. When you over-stride, your legs will fall in front of your body, your knees will easily get locked, and your feet will not be able to absorb the impact force from the ground like a spring. Therefore, the impact force is borne by the knee joint instead. Over time, this will cause damage to the knee joint and its surrounding tissues.

When a sports injury occurs, in addition to treatment, you should also look back and check whether your running posture is correct. If you already have a certain foundation, you can consider referring to running books on the market, such as "How to Run?" and "Dr. Romanov's Running Posture" (Facebook Publishing), or ask a professional running or track and field coach to adjust your posture.

3. In addition to training, you also need enough rest.

All professional athletes take off season breaks to relieve accumulated fatigue and give their bodies a chance to repair. However, many amateur runners or sports enthusiasts train continuously throughout the year, using traditional methods to teach themselves to coexist peacefully with fatigue and pain. This approach will not improve the efficiency of training. If you want to further improve your training efficiency (in the case of running, that means improving your running performance), you must incorporate the concept of "off-season rest." You can arrange about three to four consecutive weeks of rest each year.

During the rest time, it does not mean that you have to sit at home and watch TV all day. Instead, you can do other exercises, such as cycling, yoga, swimming, to relax yourself. You can also read some books that interest you, even books about running techniques. Stretching and massage are also recommended activities during this time. When the rest period is over, you will have a refreshed body to face the next training cycle.

This article is from Dr. Dai Dawei's blog

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