Three Tips For Combating Knee Pain As A Runner
Running offers a plethora of health benefits. In fact, scientists have found that running can prevent strokes, heart disease, obesity, and much more. While running can be a great way to get in your allotted amount of exercise per week, once injury could end up sidelining you. One of the biggest injury complaints from runners is runner's knee. This is when the kneecap rests on the hip bone. In return, this can cause a great deal of pain and force you to stop running, or it can be a dull pain that remains annoying. To help ensure that runner's knee doesn't pop up on you, here are some tips for preventing it.
Increase Your Mileage Gradually
One of the best ways to prevent runner's knee is to prevent your mileage gradually. You don't want to overdo it by taking on too much running without letting your body rest. Experts suggest increasing your mileage by only 10% each week to help keep you from doing too much too soon. Overuse injuries are a common occurrence among runners and other athletes. By sticking to only a 10% increase each week, it allows your body to rest and recuperate from your previous run.
Take Notice of Any Pains
If during your running or right after you start to notice some pains in your knee, then you need to scale back or stop for a while. In order to allow your body to recover properly, you will need to scale back on the workload your knee is doing. Not only do you want to limit any running you do for a while, but you also want to limit any activities where you are bending your knee.
Find the Right Shoes
When you are wearing the right type of shoes while running, you will notice a considerable difference not only in your knee but your feet and strength overall. On average, you can get about 300 to 500 miles out of a good pair of running shoes. The first thing you want to look for is a well-cushioned pair of shoes. This will help decrease the amount of impact your knees absorb during the run. You can also check with your local running shop to see if they offer custom running shoes. This allows you to have a pair that is designed to help you become more stable when you are running. If you have a low arch, then you want to look for a firm midsole. This will help keep the leg and knee from rotating inward.
For more information, talk to a professional like Milford Hospital.
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