Is running is bad for your knees?

As a physiotherapist and a runner I often have conversations in the clinic about running. I'm often asked if I'm worried about my knees? I usually follow up the question with a quizzical look and ask why. My patient's response often goes like this "Well because you are going to get arthritis and won't be able to walk when you're older. My doctor told me to stop running otherwise I was going to wreck my knees so I did. Don't you think you should?"

I usually respond that based on the research the opposite is true. Runners are no more likely to develop arthritis than non runners and there is evidence that runners are perhaps less likely to develop knee arthritis.

Check out Alex Hutchinson's most recent post on the subject.

http://www.runnersworld.com/sweat-science/is-running-actually-good-for-your-knees