¿Es malo correr para tus rodillas?

¿Es malo correr para tus rodillas?

No es correr that's bad for your knees, but running when your knees can't take the stress that the activity places on them. If you have no existing knee or other joint issues, fitness specialists like Laura Williams advise running as a way to keep your knees healthy.

"Nowadays, it's thought that running helps to keep your joints healthy, as it increases strength in both your bones and muscles," she says. "Running involves several joints - including your hip, knee, and ankle joints."

The knee is one of the largest joints in your body, and is the area where your thighbone (femur) joins your kneecap (patella), shinbone (tibia) and the smaller bone that runs alongside it (fibula). Ejercicios de fortalecimiento muscular are great for your joints because they build the muscles that surround them. This provides more support for your connecting bones, which in turn reduces stress and weight on your joints.

¿Por qué me duelen las rodillas cuando corro?

If running isn't bad for your knees, why then do dolor e lesiones de rodilla sometimes occur? Running is high-impact because it involves jolting movements as your feet leave and hit the ground. This can be jarring on your joints and particularly your knees, the impact putting a high level of stress on them.

Experimentar dolor de rodilla durante o después de correr puede deberse a una presión excesiva entre la rótula y el fémur. Este dolor puede aparecer y desaparecer y generalmente se siente en la parte frontal de la rodilla, aunque a menudo es difícil localizar exactamente el lugar del dolor.

Throughout your life, your joints will go through inevitable wear and tear. Regular physical activity is integral to maintaining a full range of motion in your joints, but it's important to balance high-impact exercise with low-impact activity and rest.

Williams summarises the essential considerations for runners, explaining: "Ultimately, how running impacts your joints will depend on how you run, how often you run, and how far you run, as well as any injury history."

Los efectos a largo plazo de correr

El desgaste de las articulaciones es una parte natural del envejecimiento, and may lead to joint issues such as dolor, stiffness, cirugías de reemplazo articular, y artrosis later in life. Contrary to popular belief, high-impact activities such as running do not increase the likelihood of joint complaints on their own.

For instance, many estudios have found no correlation between running and artrosis - the wearing down of joint cartilage. When la investigación has shown an association between high-volume or high-intensity running with osteoarthritis, it hasn't been possible to determine whether other factors such as previous injury have played a role.

On the other hand, a 2020 estudio not only found running to have no effect on joint cartilage volume or thickness, but also suggested that it promoted cartilage nutrition.

¿Cómo evitan los corredores el daño en las articulaciones?

To reduce your chance of knee injury, there are steps you can follow to keep your knees supported while running.

¿Cuándo debo evitar correr?

Experts have identified the main risk factor for knee issues - or indeed any other running-related injuries - as previous injury in the previous 12 months. Running is bad for your knees if you attempt to run before existing knee pain, stiffness, and injury have fully healed.

If you experience knee pain or stiffness during or after running, listen to your body and rest until your joints have recovered. If after a few days of rest your knee is still causing you discomfort, you can consult your doctor who may refer you to a physiotherapist.