More than 18 million runners will get injured this year, and the most common banged-up body part will be the knee.
According to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, tight hamstrings, repetitive high impact, and over-training are the most common causes of knee traumas—and (good news) they’re all preventable. Here’s how.
Stretch it out
“Inflexible hamstrings put added stress on your knees,” says Stephen Messier, director of Wake Forest University’s Runners’ Clinic. Do hamstring stretches after every run.
Replace your trainers
Cushioning wears out over time, reducing its shock absorption. Buy new trainers every 1 600 kilometers.
Bump it up slowly
“Increasing your mileage too soon puts added tension on your knees,” says Messier. Increase your total distance by no more than 5 percent each week.
I battle to stay motivated once I’ve started running… I used to be able to run 10km’s but haven’t run for a long time… I’ve tried to start running again but after about 3 to 4 km’s only my left knee jams up and it feels like someone stabbed me with a knife in my kneecap! I try to walk a bit and run again but as soon as I try to run it comes back. I haven’t done any other activity that I could have hurt my knee and I feel fine, not tired at all, running at a slow pace… but my KNEE! It makes me so despondent and I end up stopping running again
What should I do, is this normal? Should I run with a knee brace or is there anything else I can do before I start running that will prevent this?
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