Over the years, your knees endure a lot of wear and tear as you fight against gravity to move and walk. The human mind is very powerful.Knee pain is a common problem, especially for older adults. In terms of running, I think thatвЂ™s very similar.

вЂњItвЂ™s actually their approach to life,вЂќ she says, вЂњand whether or not they feel in control of their life and what is happening to their body. She regularly treats patients who have suffered catastrophic injuries from major accidents, and said that when it comes to recovery, the single biggest factor has nothing to do with age, weight or physical health. Homa notes that the link between physical and mental health is becoming increasingly strong in orthopaedic surgery. вЂњThis doesnвЂ™t mean you have to lift heavy weights,вЂќ she says, вЂњbut simple bodyweight exercises such as reverse lunges, split squats and squats are all great.вЂќ Strength training: To prevent knee injuries, Tamara recommends focusing on strengthening the surrounding muscles. While Homa tells me the majority of supplements have no proven benefits, вЂњif people take them and feel better, thatвЂ™s fine.вЂќ She did, however, recommend that every single person вЂ“ runner or not вЂ“ takes Vitamin D, which has been proven to improve bone health. Supplements: Many runners swear by the likes of glucosamine, ginger, turmeric and cod liver oil. Tamara recommends warming up with a few dynamic stretches to prepare the muscles, then cooling down with static stretching to help the muscles relax and return to their normal range of motion. Warm ups and cool downs: Many of us are guilty of running straight out of the house without warming up properly. If good running technique, correct footwear and not running through injury sound like a given, hereвЂ™s what you can do to protect your knees for the future: вЂњHave an active rest day,вЂќ says Tamara, вЂњby going for a long walk or taking part in a stretch or yoga or pilates class.вЂќ If youвЂ™re someone who canвЂ™t sit still, donвЂ™t assume this means you have to put your feet up all day. While it might sound obvious, rest days really are important. вЂњ Running through pain and injury can obviously be very detrimental to the knees.вЂќ Homa echoes the importance of listening to your body: вЂњ Endurance runners can run into problems if their goals take precedence over symptoms they may be experiencing,вЂќ she says. вЂњItвЂ™ll tell you what type of running is best for you вЂ“ whether thatвЂ™s trail, track or road, etc вЂ“ and how much running you can do.вЂќ

вЂњThe key really is to listen to your body,вЂќ adds Tamara. вЂњA lot of people find that the harder terrain gives them symptoms, so I encourage patients to be guided by their experience.вЂќ вЂњThere is a theory that impact is bad for cartilage,вЂќ says Homa, вЂњbut I donвЂ™t know of any study that has demonstrated that conclusively.вЂќ My running friends have also blamed their sore knees and shin splints on running on hard pavements. вЂњWhen we run uphill,вЂќ Homa explains, вЂњeight times our bodyweight passes through the front part of the knee.вЂќ With that in mind, your body composition вЂ“ having the correct muscle balance, for example вЂ“ is something to be aware of. A few may require surgery, but not many.вЂќ How can running incorrectly damage my knees? Even for runners who do develop knee problems, those problems will get better. вЂњItвЂ™s really important to address the myth that running causes arthritis, because the vast majority of people who run do not develop it. So why do so many of us think running will destroy our knees? вЂњI think running gets a bad name because people can injure and do damage to their knees,вЂќ Homa says, вЂњbut running and injuring knees are almost a separate entity. вЂњThese studies have also shown that running helps the cartilage to become more resilient as it adapts to the intensity of running.вЂќ вЂњMany studies have shown that running helps to keep your joints lubricated and stimulates cartilage production,вЂќ Tamara adds.

It has huge benefits for the whole body, and can actually be very good for the knees.вЂќ вЂњ Running is good, safe and healthy,вЂќ Homa confirms. Forget about running your way to osteoarthritis, because itвЂ™s a resounding вЂњnoвЂќ from our experts вЂ“ phew!

I get on my knees, i get on my knees