🏃 Running - Running with bad knees

[Poundsand]

@jdsmith

I have bad knees. Low impact yoga has been a godsend.

Sure, as mentioned earlier, flexibility is helpful with a lot of knee pain issues. I’m addressing the strengthening part that you mentioned - the positions I’m familiar with seem like they wouldn’t be any better (maybe worse) than squats (also low impact, and probably more effective) which marasan was concerned about. Is there any poses you were thinking of for strengthening that you think would be better than squats?

[DonR]

One-legged balancing poses force you to use the muscles evenly. If you already have an imbalance, it can be very hard not to reinforce that imbalance doing squats.

I’m not disputing the benefits of squats,but putting forth a counter example. Plus you need decent hip mobility to perform squats properly.

I also remember something about hastening knee deterioration with squats if the knee cap isn’t tracking correctly due to imbalance.

[Poundsand]

Good points on imbalance, hadn’t thought of that aspect of it. Knee tracking, I don’t see how the proper form required for squats isn’t also required for the lunge / split squat poses common in yoga that seem to be the likely candidates for strengthening quads.

[jdsmith]

@Poundsand

Is there any poses you were thinking of for strengthening that you think would be better than squats?

Everything core related. Warrior, Warrior 2, triangle pose, and any variation of these. I even gave a NF guy I use. All above.

[Poundsand]

@jdsmith

@Poundsand

Is there any poses you were thinking of for strengthening that you think would be better than squats?

Everything core related. Warrior, Warrior 2, triangle pose, and any variation of these. I even gave a NF guy I use. All above.

warrior, warrior 2 were the type of poses I was thinking of that puts the knee at the position generally considered highest risk in the squat.

[jdsmith]

If you do it right, it shouldn’t hurt. Knee above feet, other foot back supporting.

IDK what to tell you man. I wrecked both knees in the Marines, have little functioning cartilage left. I did 30 days of low impact yoga and then kept going. My knees hurt if I do long walks on pavement, but not a damn bit if I hike on trails.

[Poundsand]

@jdsmith

If you do it right, it shouldn’t hurt. Knee above feet, other foot back supporting.

IDK what to tell you man. I wrecked both knees in the Marines, have little functioning cartilage left. I did 30 days of low impact yoga and then kept going. My knees hurt if I do long walks on pavement, but not a damn bit if I hike on trails.

Yea, that’s the same advice for squats. I’m not saying it doesn’t work - I’m just saying that strengthening exercises that strengthen by putting the knees in basically the most stressful part of the squat when someone is worried about squats maybe misses the point. ;D

[marasan]

@Malasang88

Have you ever tried Newton running shoes? They have lugs under the forefoot that prevent you from doing a heel strike while encouraging forefoot/midfoot running. I used to hate running because of knee pain but Newtons got me into forefoot running. It took time to build up the muscle and my Achilles but it’s the only way I can run long distance.

Yes! After running on minimalist shoes (very, very thin walking shoes, believe it or not), I switched to Newtons. They were a big help in changing my foot strike. I still have a pair and do run with them. But that will be my last pair because I’ve successfully changed my foot strike and also because I think the lugs are too far forward (maybe they have different ones now, though). I believe that the midfoot strike is the best. The forefoot strike puts too much strain in other areas (like the Achilles tendon). With the midfoot strike, you have just a fraction of a second of absorbing shock in your ankle before your heel touches. This action is excessive with a forefoot strike, in my opinion. My plan is to get Hokas soon and continue with a midfoot strike.

Oh and another thing. I think the lugs make you faster as there is some springing action. If I can find a pair in Taiwan with the lugs a bit farther back, I might buy another pair.