With the haunting “freshmen 15” myth, my peers and I constantly convince ourselves that we should hit up the gym. When I go to the gym I like to work efficiently and get in and out as fast as I can. For me personally, the most effective yet short workout would be to run. More often than not, I find myself experiencing pain in my knees while running.
You always hear people saying “don’t run, walk instead!” or “running is actually hurting your body, not helping it!”. I always chose to disregard those comments, but somehow concerns regarding running and joint issues always found their way into my daily activities. I couldn’t help myself but wonder if I was just psyching myself out and that all of this was really just in my head, or if this was actually an issue I should take caution on.
Physical therapist and coordinator of the Tisch Performance Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery, Michael Silverman states, “Running gets a bad rap, but running can strengthen the knee, and those who run throughout their lives have stronger knees than those who don’t”.
Now you may wonder to yourself, why is this such a widespread myth? I feel that this myth absorbs the beliefs of numerous individuals since injuries to the knee could happen during running. With that being said, running is just like anything else, meaning that injuries can happen almost any where, any time, and any way. Sure you may injure your knee while running, but that most definitely does NOT mean that everyone that runs is going to experience injuries to their knees. In fact, USA Track & Field- certified coach / founder of Strength Running, Jason Fitzgerald declares, “”The body adapts to running and gets stronger, after all. And since running doesn’t involve excessive bending of the knee nor much twisting or turning, it’s a very safe form of exercise for knees.” Also according to sources, partaking in high-impact exercises such as running can in time strengthen the muscles around your knees which actually will take the pressure off of the joints in your knees. 
If you experience pain in your knees while running follow these tips and in no time you will be back to running like a champ without any pain!
- Begin to strength train your body, focusing on areas of weakness (i.e. glutes and hips)
- Try to stick to a consistent mileage and if you feel the need to pick up your pace, do so in small intervals
If you are interested in gaining more knowledge about ways to prevent such discomfort and pain be sure to visit these websites!
http://running.competitor.com/2014/08/injury-prevention/beating-runners-knee_143/2
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20600281,00.html
Additional Sources:
http://www.details.com/story/health-myth-running-is-bad-for-your-knees
http://fca.com/4-common-myths-about-easing-arthritis-pain/