new knees at 50!? what do you think?

I'm 50 and and have been receiving shots in my knees for 3 year. NEVER ran until 6 months ago.

I think that was a very uneducated comment on their part! Just like with any exercise/sport injury is always possible. My father has been running for almost 40 years and doing marathons for 33 years. He runs 3-5 marathons a year plus training and occasional other races. He is almost 55 years old and has never had any problems with his knees. It's just important to listen to your body, not push through injury and have the proper footwear (and replace shoes regularly) congrats on your progress! I hope to run my first 10k in a long time on thanksgiving. I have run half marathons before but let myself get out of shape so now I'm training again.

Good luck!

If you want to continue running I would highly recommend Egoscue Exercises. You can get the books on Amazong and if you go to the website (www.egoscue.com) you can find someone to help you if need be. These exercises are phenomenal and do an amazing job keeping the body in prime condition and alignment!

I think genetics and how well you take care of your body play a huge part in that. My family is not runners and all the men are overweight. All the men have had multiple knee surgeries.

I had bone on bone arthritis at 50, and never ran. There are so many causes for arthritis that no one can say one thing will "make you get arthritis". For me it was most likely undiagnosed gluten intolerance/ celiac disease and the lack of nutrient absorbtion as a consequence. But that is just a guess. Run, wear good shoes, do strength training too, and if you are destined to have arthritis later, deal with it then. Don't let the fear of arthritis keep you from doing something so healthy!

everyone's body is different. If you eat right, exercise, include strength training and never had any major injuries, you should be fine; however, it is extra wear and tear on the knees, i type for orthopedic doctors, and a few people come in with no issues, and some come in with lots of issues. People with issues usually had prior injuries. I jog, not run, i have HORRIBLE knees but i also tore my ACL when i was 18 and never had it fixed along with lots of contusions, so i know i will require replacements, but until then, i will do whatever i friggin want If you cannot live the way you want, its not worth it.

Tell that to the 71 year old woman who outruns me at the gym 3 days a week. Tell that to the 83 year old dude who ran next to me in my last half marathon. At age 80 he switched from fulls to halfs because he says he's starting to slow down a bit in his old age. :laugh: Personally, I suffer from fewer running injuries now than I did when I was younger - maybe because now I listen to my body and adjust my routines accordingly. I plan on keeping my knees...

Exercise - if done properly - is great for bones and joints, and can actually improve arthritic symptoms. How your knees will fare depends a lot on proper form and self-care, an overall healthy lifestyle, as well as your genetics. I know a 33 year old guy who never ran a day in his life who has terrible knees and needs shots just to help him walk. But his arthritic knees "run" in the family. The person who schooled you on your knees is just showing personal bias.

I have always been a runner, until 4 years ago. I developed arthritis in both knees at age 37 and have had 2 major surgeries so far. My ortho says I'll need both knees replaced and that it was because of running. I personally think it had more to do with heredity than running. Bad knees run in my family. My mom is going to have both knees replaced in the next few months and she was never a runner.

If you do develop arthritis, I would say deal with it then. It could come from any number of things and most likely you won't know exactly what caused it. If I could go back, I would still run like I did before, even if my doctor is right and that's what caused my problems. I enjoyed running so much and miss it terribly.