You might wonder if running is a good type of exercise for your joints, and the answer to that question depends on your age and overall health. As you get older, your body’s joints will begin to degrade, making running more difficult. If you have been running for most of your lifetime, then running may not bother your joints’ components. However, if you are a baby boomer who has never exercised, then beginning a running exercise program is not a good plan. Running is also not recommended for anyone who is overweight or for someone with an arthritic condition.
Running Can Damage Your Knees With Wear and Tear Injuries
There is new research that reveals that running is good for an individual’s knees, but this study was performed with test subjects who had been running for many years. If you have lived a couch potato lifestyle but want to begin an exercise program, then running is not the best choice because it will lead to having pain in your hips, knees and ankles. To understand why running is not a good form of exercise for everyone, it is important to learn more about your body’s joints.
What Are the Joints In Your Body?
Your body has over 350 joints, but most of those are not weight bearing joints. The joints that are most susceptible to damage from running include the joints in your feet, ankles, knees and hips. Joints are composed of several materials, including:
• Fibrous tissue
• Cartilage tissue
• Synovial fluid
How Physicians Diagnose Joint Problems
If a bone has a problem, then a nearby joint might be the primary cause of the problem, or the joint might have a secondary problem. Each type of joint is unique and complex, making it difficult for a physician to determine what is wrong with it when you are in pain. In order to diagnose a problem with a joint, a physician will perform a physical examination and request an X-ray along with other diagnostic tests.
You Can Damage Your Joints By Running Incorrectly
Some individuals will run for exercise for many years and have no joint injuries, but other individuals may incur one or more joint injuries that will sideline them from the sport. Running incorrectly by using the wrong form or wearing poor-quality footwear can damage the joints in your lower limbs. It is important to warm up with stretches before running to get your body’s tendons, muscles and ligaments ready for running. In addition, running is a high-impact sport, but if you have stronger ligaments, muscles and tendons, then you are less likely to damage a joint’s cartilage.
How To Protect a Joint That Has a Previous Injury While Running
If you have had a previous joint injury, then you may need to wear a supportive brace. You can find elastic compression braces in a drugstore, or a specialist can make customized devices. A personalized brace is made from durable materials, and it is molded to support a joint precisely to prevent a new injury.