Sagar Tewatia – Mumbai Uncensored, 7th March 2022
You love running, but you are scared because you have heard “it will harm your knees,” “it will lead to back injuries,” and so on.
If these statements were factual, then Usain Bolt, who has been running for almost 16 years and was the fastest sprinter globally, would have devastated his knees and back!
Is running harmful for us?
To understand this concept, we first have to understand the biomechanics of running, and after it, we will be free from this risk of knee injuries.
Running has something called a ‘non-contact phase,’ where both our feet are off the bottom. So when we land, the foot that struck the ground lands with more than 4 to 6 times our body weight, and if we haven’t spent time bolstering the muscles around the thigh or stretched them, then we are risking an injury, and that’s not because we are running but because we took running for granted.
You must have seen Mr Usain Bolt’s videos doing squats and other exercises to strengthen his muscles; the man who has broken the world records many times and created new forms in the running is doing squats?
It is simple to understand; he was able to break all those records because he used to train all those muscles that make us run.
Which muscles are involved in running?
Here is the list of all the muscles which are involved in running:
- Core muscles
- Hip flexors
- Glutes
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Calf muscles
We hope you got the point.
Strengthening and stretching the muscles involved in running is crucial; without adequate strength and flexibility, we would injure our knees even if we are not running and just “walking” or just sitting. So every muscle needs to be strengthened, and that’s a very simple fundamental of maintaining our body healthy.
Takeaway
Running is not harmful to our knees, but the technique of running is.
To enhance our running, we have to strengthen the involved muscles and stretch before beginning the running, and by executing this, you will feel that your legs are supporting your blasting motivational songs rhythm.
Next time someone suggests you avoid running or tell you the destructive results of running, ask them why and feel free to share this article with them.
