Running is a complete workout in itself. Running for a short time every day keeps our health healthy. But its method should be correct. Apart from other body parts it is also beneficial for knees. However, some people complain of pain and swelling in their knees after running. In such a situation, the question is whether running is harmful for the knee?
So today In 'Healthy Water' Let's talk about how running affects the knee. You will also learn that-
- What precautions should be taken while running?
- How much running per day is beneficial for health?
Expert – Dr. Yugal Karkhur, Senior Consultant, Orthopaedics, Narayan Hospital, (Gurugram)
Running Reduces Osteoarthritis Risk: Study A study was published in the National Institute of Health (NIH). In which a long research was done for two decades on runners and non-runners. In research, scientists found that osteoarthritis, or joint pain, was present in only 20% of people who ran. while 32% of people who did not run suffered from it.
According to this study, running puts more stress on the knee than walking. But this strengthens the knee bones. There is no direct correlation between running and knee pain.
Osteoarthritis what is
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when the cartilage that supports the bones in a joint begins to slowly deteriorate, it can cause pain, stiffness and disability. This is called osteoarthritis. This is the most common form of arthritis, mostly appearing in people after the age of 50. Currently there is no complete treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 528 million people worldwide suffered from osteoarthritis in 2019.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, about 2.34 crore people in India were suffering from osteoarthritis in 1990. In 2019, this figure has almost tripled to 6.23 crore.
Running is not harmful to knees The pressure on the knee during running increases the amount of fluid in the joint, which maintains smoothness and relieves joint pain. This reduces the risk of knee related problems. However, we need to take some precautions while running.
How to protect your knees while running The knee is a very sensitive organ. Protecting the knee while running is very important as an injury to it can lead to many serious problems. If a knee injury becomes severe, it can result in permanent joint damage, disability, serious infection, or neurovascular damage to the knee. Most knee injuries are caused by falls or bumps during sports or running.
Running on one side is beneficial for both the knees and the body. On the other hand, it is very important to be careful and protect the knee. So check out the graphic below to see how to protect your knees while running.
Some tips to protect your knees while running Besides running properly and wearing sports shoes, there are a few other things we can do to protect our knees while running. Let us understand this through the following points.
Do stretching exercises Muscle stiffness leads to poor form, which increases the risk of injury while running. Do stretching exercises before running in such a position. This increases flexibility in the muscles and helps in running for longer periods of time.
First walk slowly and then run To keep the body active and avoid fatigue, first walk slowly and then start walking fast. It improves running time and keeps the body active. Constantly running too fast can aggravate knee problems.
Take care of body capacity Run as much as your body's endurance allows. Running beyond the body's capacity starts to damage the body. Due to this, the body is always tired and weak, which makes it difficult to achieve long-term goals.
Knee-support braces must be worn Don't forget to wear knee sleeves before running to protect your knees from any damage. This helps maintain leg mobility even while running. With this, any kind of risk including knee sprains can be avoided.
Running is beneficial for overall health Just 20 to 30 minutes of running at a moderate pace every day can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and many other diseases. Check out the graphic below to see how daily running is beneficial for our health.
Dr. Just a few minutes of running every day can improve physical and mental health, says the Karkhur couple. However, it is very important to follow some rules before running. Like eating healthy and staying hydrated etc. While running it is important to keep in mind the points given in the graphic below.
How right or wrong is listening to music while running? Dr. Yugal Karkhur explains that listening to music while running depends on the running position. You can enjoy slow music if you are running in a fixed area of a running club, park, ground or treadmill. It can also help with running. But if we are running on a road or highway, the chances of an accident increase.
How much running per day is good for health? According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, a person should run for 2.5 hours five days a week or 30 minutes per day to stay healthy.
Is treadmill running bad for knees? Not at all, running on a treadmill is not bad for the knees. But running in plains is more beneficial for health. Running on a treadmill also has some benefits. For example, one can run on a treadmill even in bad weather. In this we can control our speed. However, it can also be boring as no scene changes here.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
