Knee pain is often the most talked about when it comes to running pain and difficulties. Back pain is additionally a painful byproduct of engaging in heavier workouts and routines. It is often normal to experience some minor aches when performing more intense exercises, but it should never be a painful journey. If you are beginning running and notice a lot more pain and discomfort than usual, you may actually be running incorrectly.

Form when running is vital. People often begin a running program without ever considering HOW to run. “I can run, and I’ve run before in random moments. So instinctively I know how to run!” Well, I hate to say it but probably not. We often run randomly in our day to day, but that running is often done in whatever natural position we decide in that moment. We do not consciously notice or even ponder what is required to run well and without pain.

There are various running styles to consider that are far more beneficial in reducing the risks associated with runner’s knee and back pain.

The first thing that often causes issues is when runners strike the ground with their heel.

If a runner pushes their feet farther out in front of them, their heel will always slam into the ground first. This will lead to extreme joint pain especially around the knees and ankles. To counter this, make sure to open your stride up behind you more and let your feet land instead behind you rather than in front. Use your ankles to lean as well.

Another strategy to improve running is to avoid lifting your knees while running.

Often runners will perform an extra long stride forward by raising their knees up high. This form is what often leads to knee pain once you hit the ground, as the force of your lifted knee brings the foot down hard to the ground unnecessarily. Just have the knees hang and swing lower. The bend of your knee should only be occurring BEHIND you, not in front of you. Keep heels up.

Try to lean your entire body forward as well, rather than back.

In the forms mentioned above, you can see how raising your knee up and taking a long stride forward can often push your body back, leaving you at an angle. Do not run this way as it can increase pain in the knees and back. Try to have a slight lean forward with your body in order to correct this posture.

Make sure your knees are softly bent, not straightened.

In the over stride mentioned before, you bend the knee and reach out in front of you with it, often straightening the knee before slamming it to the ground. A straightened knee landing that roughly against the ground is bound to create major joint pain and issues overtime. Make a conscious effort to keep knees slightly bent throughout the running process.

Focus and aim your feet forward.

It is common to see runners with their feet landing slightly pointed outward, or inward. This strategy can lead to joint pain in the knee. Make sure the feet are pointed in the exact direction you are running in, or forward. This correction helps your legs hinge and move in the direction they were created to.

Do not over stride and increase your cadence.

Although this is a summary of the other runner stances we mentioned above, it is a good final note to leave off on. Do not over stride while running as it creates almost all the pains we are trying to prevent here. Improving your cadence often has benefits in reducing stride. To increase cadence, you simply need to run faster, moving your arms and legs quicker than usual. In this way, you are moving the body a lot smoother than taking an immensely large, slower stride that ends up impacting the ground a lot harder than it should.

Try a few of these running style fixes to alleviate, and predominantly prevent, excessive knee and back pain while running. If you are having trouble perfecting the running styles and seeing beneficial progress, connect with a physical therapist at HIDFitTherapy today to receive guidance and direction in your running program.

by Ashley Gresko

Blog editing consultant for HID Fit Therapy.

References:

https://www.chirunning.com/blog/how-to-prevent-knee-injury-and-knee-pain/

https://www.runnersblueprint.com/knee-pain-from-running/