Does running destroy your knees?

If your careful then no. Make sure you have rest days and do exercises that build your legs up.

I started running about 4 years ago and I basically ended up getting Runners Knee I've been told not to run now until I've lost the excess weight. What caused my issue was that I didn't have the proper shoes and I was running 7 days a week and not resting.

hi there
well if you feel you can and want to run then first see your doctor as he is the best person to tell you if it bad or not then if its is ok then a good set of running shoes and then start off slowly and build up to it maybe even join a running club but most of all dont over do it and push yourseld to hard so have fun and good luck

Not necessarily! Many Drs have an outdated view that running damages your knees (unless they are runners themselves). I know a couple of larger runners who's Drs have told them that running will damage their knees - both have since gone from C25K to running HM's and their knees (and overall health/ weight) have never been better after ignoring Drs who weren't up to date on the latest research and had little knowledge of value when it came to overweight people exercising (walk & swim being the default suggestions). A physiotherapist is better placed to give proper advise IMO.

That said I didn't consult with either, I just went out and started C25K but took my time and listened to my body. I started at almost 300lbs and now run around 25miles a week with my longest run to date being 30k.

I started running slowly in Jan 2013 and I didn't feel any knee pain. Actually, I felt so much better..knees and my back. I agree with the others that have said watching your form and purchasing the right type of sneaker for your foot and how you run, which may change as you continue to lose weight. I used c25k to start me off slowly, but go at your own pace.

our bodies were not designed to be blobs. We were designed to move daily and do some pretty cool stuff

If you are out of shape, overweight, use horrible form and wear the wrong shoes, then yes, running will probably "destroy your knees."

If you get fitted for the right shoe, practice good form and progress gradually you will most likely avoid injury. However, with any type of exercise, injuries happen.

I also want to add that incorporating a good weight lifting program helps avoid common running injuries such as runner's knee.

No - we were Born to run .. we evolved that way --- we didn't evolve to be overweight - which puts more strain on many parts of our body.

That is just patently untrue. If we evolved to run, as you claim, we would be at least as fast as another animal that evolved to run: The cheetah, who routinely hits 50mph or so, and can hit bursts up to 70mph.

The fastest human recorded was about 28mph or so (Usain Bolt). And, the injury threshold is 25-26 mph.

Research shows we evolved for long distance, constant walking, with short bursts of speed for hunting. There was a lone study that may show we evolved for running, but again, that's a lone study and a conclusion of 2 researchers. Not the general consensus.

So just because one animal can run faster than another means that the slower one has not evolved to run ... wow :ohwell: :ohwell:

Just get good shoes and start slowly. Humans are designed to be moving about on their own two legs not sitting on a sofa or in a car.

I started running when I was 300#. I have never had any significant knee issues. Even starting with crap shoes and crap form. I actually developed shin splints because of too much too soon. If you take it slow and build properly with good foot wear you'll be fine. Having good form is difficult at first when your trying not to die in the road but keep it in mind and work at it. A good strategy would be to use a run and concentrate on one aspect of the form. Such as head position...then each run focus on something else till it all fits together.

I'm sad I had to stop running on the treadmill because of knee pain. I harmed it 3 years ago slipping on ice in the parking lot of my complex and it hasn't been the same. Pain can come and go. I never enjoyed running really but I just started to actually get into it and enjoy it. I have to do the elliptical instead now which can get so boring. Blah.

Have you tried running outside? I started running on a treadmill and was about to give up because of the knee pain but talking to some runner friends of mine, they told me to try running outside before quitting. I'm glad I did. I took to running outside quickly and the pain went away.

No I haven't tried running outside. My fiancè runs 3 miles everyday outside so I'd never be able to go with him until I got to his speed. But I could try it. I just like being in air conditioning lol. I should put some inserts in my shoes and give it a go at the park.

Here's a fairly succinct summary:

A Stanford University study found that older runners' knees were no less healthy than those of people who don't run. But while pounding the pavement is safer on the joints than contact sports like football, it's not totally harmless.

"Women are four to six times as likely to be at risk of serious knee injuries from running as men, because they tend to have an imbalance in the strength ratio between their quadriceps and hamstrings, which can increase the risk of ACL injuries," Westcott says.

That's why experts recommend doing a total-body strength workout at least twice a week in addition to your regular jogs to build up the muscles that support the knees.

"You will enhance your running experience and also reduce your chances of getting injured," Matthews points out.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20765578_4,00.html

Good post. People tend to mistakenly conflate bone damage with soft tissue overuse injuries when they use the phrase "damage my knees". Running carries minimal risk for the former, and, like any high-impact activity, higher risk for the latter.
Proper footwear, good form, sensible training schedules, and modifying running surface can help reduce the risk--and functional strength training is essential.

I started running when I was 215. I'm now 175. Just like any exercise, if you use proper form and equipment, you should be fine.

The minimalist/barefoot running trend has just about worn itself out. Which is good. Shoes are better now and the selection is wider, but we're not pushing it to a dangerous extreme.

The fore/mid foot strike is all the rage now. The research is mixed. The research is solid, however, on overstriking - you shouldn't reach out in front of you with your legs. Instead feel like you are landing with your feet under you.

In terms of a program, any of the couch to 5k versions are good.

I agree mostly but would only add a bit of caution in that running at 250-300 lbs is a little different than running at 215.

You bring up the key issue about stride -- it is OVERSTRIDING that is important, not foot strike per se. Everyone has their own biomechanics and it can be as wrong to push everyone to an arbitrary fore/mid strike as it was to push everyone to a heel strike 40 years ago.