Knee pain is a common issue among runners, and it can be frustrating when it interrupts your training or enjoyment of the sport. Understanding how your running form and training habits affect knee stress is essential to avoid injury and improve your overall performance. Let’s explore how certain aspects of your running technique can either increase or decrease stress on your knees.
The Impact of Running Form on Knee Stress
1. Lean Forward to Reduce Knee Stress
One of the key factors in reducing knee stress is your body’s position during running. If you run without leaning forward, your foot strikes the ground far ahead of your center of gravity (COG), known as over-striding. This misalignment increases the impact forces on your knees. By leaning slightly forward, you can ensure that your foot lands under your COG, which helps reduce knee stress.
A: proper landing under COG, B: overstride due to lack of trunk lean
A: lack of trunk lean, B: proper trunk lean (7 degrees)
2. Proper Arm Use for Efficient Running
Using your arms effectively while running does more than just help with balance—it also engages your core muscles, including your abdominals. When you swing your arms correctly, it helps you maintain good posture and stability, allowing you to run more efficiently. This efficiency not only conserves energy but also minimizes the stress placed on your knees by promoting a more balanced and controlled stride.
The image above shows the connection between shoulder and trunk. The serratus anterior muscles attach to the shoulder blade and connect to the trunk(oblique muscles).
Proper use of the arms
Inefficient use of the arms
3. Distribute Your Weight Evenly on Your Feet
To further reduce knee stress, focus on how your weight is distributed across your feet during each step. Ideally, your weight should be centered between the base of your big toe, the base of your pinky toe, and your heel. This balanced distribution helps to stabilize your foot and ankle, reducing the chances of improper foot strikes that can lead to increased knee stress. Maintaining this balance ensures that the force of each step is absorbed more evenly, which protects your knees from excessive strain.
Distribution of the body weight in the middle of the three points
Proper foot position
Too much weight on the inner side (medial) of the foot
Too much weight on the outer (lateral) side of the foot
Conclusion
Knee pain doesn’t have to sideline your running goals. By understanding the causes and implementing proper management strategies, you can continue running while minimizing discomfort. Remember, prevention is key—taking care of your knees through proper training, form, and recovery will keep you on track and enjoying your runs for years to come. If these tips do not alleviate your knee pain, you should visit a physical therapist to determine the cause of your pain.
FuncPhysio Running Club
See Dr. Kosaki for checking your running form and strategy! Our running club meets every Friday (7:50 am) and Sunday morning (9:30 am), and we also host a variety of fun events like hiking, pickleball, curry parties, and more. Come be a part of our active community!
