Aside from the fact that running is a highly accessible activity and that exercising is beneficial to your health, what’s motivating so many people to take up running?
For a long time, it was said that running could damage your knees and that it was too hard on the body. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Indeed, scientific studies show that running has incredible benefits. For example, it can reduce your chances of developing all sorts of illnesses, including osteoporosis and even cancer. Basically, running can help you live longer!
The latest research is also quite clear that running does not cause damage to your bones; in fact, it’s good for them. The body needs repetitive mechanical stress to become strong. Repeated impact on the ground not only prevents osteoporosis, but also reinforces cartilage. It can even prevent osteoarthritis. In other words, running is good for your knees!
Running has several benefits:
However, it’s essential to ease into running. Your body will adapt only as long as the mechanical stress it’s subjected to doesn’t exceed your tissues’ capacity to adapt.
With running, progression is the key to avoiding injury. The muscle structures involved in running (e.g., tendons, cartilage) are rather slow to adapt because of low vascularization. Your body needs time to adapt to the repetitive impact and get stronger. But how do you go about doing things gradually? Before you start running, you must first be able to walk for at least 30 minutes on a regularly basis (four times a week is ideal).
If you want to get into running, try following this method to build a routine:
Don’t forget that you once had to learn how to walk; now, you have to learn how to run!
Here are two simple pieces of advice when it comes to proper running technique: take small steps and try to be as light on your feet as you can.
To do this, force yourself, as soon as you start, to adopt a rhythm of about three steps per second (180 steps/minute) and try to make as little sound as possible on the ground. You can also imagine yourself running barefoot on a very hard surface. These handy tips will contribute to reducing your impact on the ground and, by the same token, the mechanical stress on your joints.
Now, what type of shoes should you wear? It’s important, especially if you’ve just taken up running, to have a shoe that allows as much ground sensation as possible. It should minimize the interface between foot and ground and have as little reinforcement as possible. This applies to most runners. Overprotecting the foot leads to long-term weakening; having a shoe that is too supportive is like having a lumbar belt to protect your back as soon as you do an activity. In this situation, it’s obvious that you will weaken your back muscles.
The same applies to your feet. Make them work so they can get stronger! Your knees and back will thank you. By exercising regularly, you’ll also contribute to controlling or even preventing many potentially fatal diseases, such as high blood pressure and other heart problems. In this way, running can help reduce the need for medication. In short, go for a run!
Running is beneficial and accessible to everyone. Just make sure you start gradually, one minute at a time, and that you listen to your body. Run often (more than three times a week), take small steps, stay light on your feet, and wear simple shoes. Put all of that together and you’ve got the recipe for smart running!
A collaboration with Eric Boucher
physiotherapist and running specialist
Last updated on May 12, 2022
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