Ep #386: How to Run Without Knee Pain (What Actually Helps)

Welcome to the Not Your Average Runner podcast. I’m Jill Angie, a certified running coach, and your running BFF here to help you start running. Feel confident and love the journey no matter your size. Now, if you’ve ever felt like you just weren’t meant to be a runner, think again. I believe that running is for all bodies, even yours.

This podcast is your warmup buddy, giving you tips, motivation, and the support you need to lace up and get moving. I’ve helped thousands of women become runners, and now I wanna help you. Let’s go.

Hey runner and welcome back to the show. So today we are talking about something that I know. So many of you are dealing with, and that is knee pain, specifically how to run without knee pain or at least less of it and what actually helps. So if you have ever said, um, I’d love to run, but my knees just can’t handle it.

Or Dammit. Running was going so well until my knees started acting up. This is the episode for you, so let’s dive in. First of all, knee pain is absolutely not a given for runners. Not even close. There is this huge myth out there that running ruins your knees, especially if you’re fat.

And I’m here to tell you right now that that is simply not true. Now, yes, knee pain is a real thing, and yes, some runners do experience it. By the way, runners of all sizes and shapes experience it, and lots of other people experience knee pain who haven’t. Run a step in their lives. In fact, every single person I know who has had a knee replacement is not a runner and has not been a runner.

So let’s just bust that myth right away, that like if you run, you’re going to ruin your knees ’cause it’s simply not true. Running itself by itself does not destroy knees. In fact, studies show that recreational runners have lower rates of knee arthritis than non-runners. All right, let’s just take a moment to appreciate that.

So the problem is not the running, the problem is how you are running. So what actually causes knee pain and knee issues in runners? Well, the most common culprits that I see are number one, doing too much too soon. So if you go from not running at all to all of a sudden you’re doing three miles a day.

And you know, you do that like too quickly, your body’s not gonna be happy about it. The second thing I see is runners, and this is super common. Runners with weak or inactive muscles, especially glutes and hips. Those muscles stabilize your pelvis and your knees and when they are not strong or they’re not firing correctly, your knees take the brunt and they end up hurting.

Um, the third thing I see is worn out or unsupportive shoes. Okay, your shoes matter. A lot. And if you are running on the same shoes for a year, you’re gonna start having aches and pains and it may show up in your knees, um, or if you are running in the kind of shoes that don’t support your feet. Now the fourth thing that I see is poor running form.

And this is things like overstriding or letting your knees sort of collapse inward with each step. This can stress your joints over time and lead to issues. So. How do we fix all of this? What actually helps make the knee pain go away? Let’s break it down. Number one, you want to build up gradually, so you’re gonna start where you are and increase your distance and intensity slowly.

I recommend no more than a 10% increase in time or distance each week, and I really recommend that you kind of like stay at the same distance for a little while, especially when you’re brand new. Stay at that distance for a few weeks before you bump up by that 10%, uh, time or distance. Now, as far as weak glutes or, um, you know, unstable hips, strength training is your secret weapon here.

And, uh, contrary to popular belief, you do not need to spend hours in the gym. A few key exercises like bridges, uh, glute bridges, clamshells, squats, and step ups, which by the way, you need zero equipment for, um, can do wonders and strong glutes and hips mean happy knees. So get. Busy with the strength training my friends.

Now the third thing is your running shoes, right? If your running shoes are more than 300 miles old, so you’ve gone running or walking more than 300 miles in them, um, they are probably done. They’re probably done, especially if they felt good in the beginning and now it’s like six months later and you’re like, I don’t understand why my knees are hurting.

Well, let’s take a look at those shoes. Um, also if you’re running in shoes that were never meant for running in the first place. Also it is time for new ones. So go to a running store. Get fitted if you, if you can, if you have a running store near you, um, you don’t need the most expensive pair, right? You just want shoes that support your unique body.

And by the way, one of the most common questions I get asked is, what is the best running shoe? There is no answer to that because it depends on so much how you run. Um, you know, the types of running goals that you have, your, the style of your body, right, like how your bones and joints are put together.

Everyone is different and unique. That’s why it’s important to go to a running store and get properly fitted for shoes. I. And then finally I talked about, uh, running form being a reason that people end up with knee pain. And the most common issue with this is overstriding. And that means that you are landing with your foot way out in front of your body.

And you know, one super quick fix for this is to just shorten your stride. Take. Shorter, quicker steps. You will feel bouncier, you will feel more stable. Your knees will thank you. You will be less likely to get shin splints, by the way, and you’ll have more endurance, right? So if you are thinking that like, oh, I need to take really long strides to run as fast as possible, that’s actually, uh, the fast, the fast lane to injury.

So. Shorten up those strides. Um, if you’re a member of my up and running or run your Best Life program, you know, I call ’em corgi steps, right? Um, take those short, quick steps to save your knees, and by the way, your shins will thank you as well. Now, there’s one more tip that I have when it comes to knee pain, and that is to listen to your body.

All right? Discomfort is one thing, right? Everybody, you know, every time I go for a run, there’s like always one body part that’s a little bit cranky until I get warmed up and then it’s fine. And it varies from week to week. I never know what body part it’s gonna be. Um, but if you have repetitive pain that lingers throughout your entire run or gets worse either during your run or it’s worse the next time you go out and it’s kind of getting, you know, worse over time.

Get curious, right? Think first. What can you tweak? Can you tweak your shoes? Can you start adding more strength training? Can you work on your running form? Right? I. Um, if that doesn’t improve things after a few weeks, um, if things either stay the same or continue to get worse, talk to a physical therapist.

Talk to a sports doctor, uh, preferably one who works with runners and say, Hey, this is what’s going on for me. I think I probably need some physical therapy. Can I get a diagnosis? Can we start down the road to fixing this because. For real, almost all knee pain is not actually a degeneration of your joint.

It is a pain and, um, inflammation that is in the, the. Structures surrounding the joint. And so that’s really great news for you because a lot of times we feel knee pain and we think, oh my gosh, I’m, I’m ruining my knees. And it’s like, no, actually there’s probably just some, uh, adjustments that you need to make in how you’re running so that your knees can be more stable and the pain will go away.

Okay. My friend, let’s wrap this up. If you have been afraid to run because of knee pain, I want you to know that is not your destiny. So with the right plan, the right shoes, some strength work, running can actually help your knees feel better in the long run. So. If this episode spoke to you, please take a screenshot, share it on Instagram, tag me on at not your average runner because I wanna cheer you on.

I wanna see how you’re doing. And by the way, if you have not already, make sure that you subscribe so that you never miss an episode. All right. Until next time, run slow, run steady, and do not forget you are not too fat to run. I’ll talk to you later.

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