Stability Running/Knee Health

Stability Running

Walking, of course, is an excellent way to improve cardiac, respiratory, joint health, digestion and muscular health. Running pushes this advantage to another level. It clicks the body into overdrive: flight response has been used for centuries by our ancestors. Kick in some adrenaline, and leave our pursuers in a cloud of dust. Today we mostly have a “personal best” as our opponent, but you’ll be ready if you do need to flee!

One of the main complaints of beginning runners and their experienced counterparts, is the pain of the knee. Running is a significant burden on the knee joint. If a runner is new to the sport, it is easy to over train in the beginning. Take it easy, build your leg and the joints. Establish a base for the stability of the knee to avoid damage. Runners training for a new race distance must be careful: 10-km conditioning and strength must be carefully modified if a marathon 26-mile is the goal. The knees will adapt to this new challenge, if given the opportunity. If a two mile run causes moderate pain at first, cut back and relax. It takes time for the body to adapt and to stabilize the knee.

Nobody wants to blow out their knee and have surgery.  Stability is essential for continued operation of the knee in a healthy manner. This means correct leg muscle development, obtained by gradual increase in mileage and intensity, will create stability. The quadriceps (front of thigh) and hamstrings (back of thigh) work together with the other muscles, drawing on different areas of the knee simultaneously. If these muscles develop properly, the knee will be aligned and will slide over and under itself, without undue effort. Remember the patella, it’s essential, too. This engineering marvel is slipped onto the front of the knee, adding stability and providing a link between the thigh and lower leg bones. Thus, the knee has been described in medical literature as three joints in one.

If more than one single mile per week is the goal, it is mandatory the runner invest in proper shoes. People come in all shapes and sizes. Some people pronate or roll, the weight of the body to the inner edge of the  foot. Other supinate or roll, the weight to the outside.

Men and women have very different angles of the hip to the knee. That’s why there are gender-specific running shoes. The best way to be fitted with running shoes is to visit a shop that has a treadmill. Yes, these shoes are probably twice as expensive as the ones from Walmart. However, how much does a good surgeon cost?

Runners can overcome a knee injury and get “back to green-flag racing.” It can be done, but prevention is much better.

Patience and careful training are your coaches too.