Are you training for a marathon? Doing lots of sprints at the local high school track? Plagued with sore knees, and don’t understand why? Both long and short distance runners may, at some point or another, have sore knees. Sore knees often plague beginning runners. Here are a few tips to help heal your knees and possibly prevent further soreness.
First, let’s treat the problem. Ice, for periods of 15 minutes at a time, will reduce the swelling, and begin the healing process. Taking ibuprofen will also help with the swelling. Definitely do not run until your pain is gone, as you may reinjure yourself. Sometimes, just a few days off, with periods of icing, will do wonders for your knees.
If you are a beginning runner, your sore knees may be the result of trying to do too much, too soon. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, sore knees may also be because of overtraining. Beginning long distance runners should use a program such as the Couch to 5K, which slowly and steadily increases time and distance run, to help prevent knee and other injuries. As a general rule, you should not increase your mileage more than 10% from week to week. You should also make sure, especially if you are a beginning runner, that you give yourself at least one day of rest in between running sessions, to allow your muscles and joints time to heal.
Check to make sure you are wearing proper shoes. If you are serious about your running, go to a running shoe store and get properly fitted for running shoes that will help support your particular running form. Some people overpronate their feet (rollinging your foot in), while others supinate (rolling your foot out), for instance. You may also have flat feet, or not enough arch support. A specialist at a running shoe store will be able to help you find the best running shoe for you. Having properly fitted running shoes will make a world of difference in your running.
Next, take a look at the surface you are running on. If you are running on pavement or a treadmill, your knees are taking a beating every time you put your feet on the ground. Try to run on trails or in grassy areas, to help cushion your feet while you are running.
Taking the supplement Glucosamine Chondroitin helps build up your cartilage, which will keep your knees (and other joints) healthy. This supplement can be found on the vitamin aisle of many major grocery stores, as well as at places like Wal-mart and K-mart.
Ice your knees for 15 minutes after each run. Whether it’s submerging yourself in a bathtub filled with ice, or just very cold water (something that many runners who are training for a marathon do after their long runs), or sitting with bags of ice on your knees, this will help reduce swelling immediately, and get your muscles and joints on the road to rebuilding.
Strengthen your quadriceps muscles, as that is the muscle that holds your knees up. Doing exercises that strengthen your quadriceps, such as leg raises, will take some of the strain off your knees.
If the pain is severe, or not going away after a period of resting, you might want to visit your doctor to check to see if you have water on the knee, or some other type of joint damage that needs to be addressed further.
