No, Running Doesn’t Kill Your Knees

It may actually be good for your joints.

The old line of thinking goes that running and knees don’t go too well together. However, a recent article posted on NPR’s Web site offers a different opinion about knee health vis-a-vis distance running.

David Felson, a researcher and epidemiologist at Boston University School of Medicine notes that past concerns focused on the repeated impact of the foot to ground and how that repetition caused degeneration of the knee. However, he says that after actually studying this impact, they did not find this theory to be true.

“We know from many long-term studies that running doesn’t appear to cause much damage to the knees,” he said. In fact, one such study conducted by researchers in Sweden found that running is actually good for the joint.

Orthopedic surgeon Jonathan Chang agrees. He says that exercise stimulates cartilage to repair minor damage in the knee.

Naturally, there are caveats.

The article warns runners who are 20 pounds overweight not to start off with an intense running regimen. They should instead walk until their body mass is reduced such that it won’t traumatize their joints.

For More: NPR