We all know running is plain, old healthy living; but it can also eventually take a toll on your body. No matter how young or lightweight you are, everyone needs to be cautious of putting too much strain on their muscles, joints, and ligaments when running serious mileage. One of the injuries that arises from running long distances is impact on the knees. After jumping over 30 times out of a fast moving aircraft, flying less than 1000 ft from the ground, loaded with gear that matches my body weight, I have to be careful about the further impacts I put on my knees. Here is what I have learned.
First line of defense is prevention. As soon as you feel any pain in your knees you should begin to alter your running. Some prevention methods are buying running shoes with more cushioning, running routes that do not have as much downhill, or changing the surface that you run on. Get off the pavement and on the trail! To keep your knees pain free after runs, many people choose to place ice on them. It helps the pain plus you look like an aging but still high preforming athlete! At least that is what movies have shown.
If you have had sharp pains in your knees for a while now then these preventive techniques won’t work for you; luckily, you don’t have to stop running all together. First, try to understand what is exactly wrong with your knees. The easiest way to identify this is to identify where the sharp pain is exactly. If you are not sure, consult a doctor for more specific knowledge and possible testing. After you identify where the problem is you need to search for the knee brace that is best for your injury. Knee braces are a great way to reduce stress and impact on your muscles and ligaments while allowing you to still run close to your pre-knee injury abilities. Knee braces are made to keep your knee and knee cap aligned and come in bulky, flexible, or sturdy models. Everyone’s knees are different so either consult a doctor or try out different knee braces before deciding on which one is best for your knees.
So relieve some mental stress and get back on your knees!
Tags: knee braces, prevent injury