5 Effective Hacks To Reduce Joint Impact When you Run

04 Jul 5 Effective Hacks To Reduce Joint Impact When you Run

Posted at 10:56h in Fitness, Injury Recovery, Running by rehubdemo 0 Comments

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You might very well know that running has a significant impact on your joints, in fact, running puts 5x to 8x the force exerted on your knees vs walking. Sometimes even more depending on the weight factor. So, how can you reduce joint impact when you run..?

Although running has countless benefits, your joints can pay the price.

Good news is that there are ‘quick wins’ that you can do to reduce this impact. And yes, starting today.

At the end, being healthier means more miles down the road. And taking care of those ‘little details’ can have tremendous benefits in the long term.

Pay attention.

1. Start with the extra cushioning

This is an easy one. Do not rely solely on the cushion of your shoes. Although we are counting on the fact that the cushioning on big brand shoes is ‘superior’, don’t get stuck here. Take the extra step of amping up your cushioning and do your knees a favor

How? Insoles and socks. They can cut in half (yes, half!) the impact that running has on your knees.

But not all insoles and socks will do the job. Make sure they are the ones particularly providing what is needed.

You might want to take a look at the ⇒ Sof Sole Insoles. These insoles (foam based) are superior quality providing a great deal of cushion (besides they adapt better to your foot vs gel and can be cut to size)

You might want to couple the insoles with the ⇒ Thorlos Experia padded socks. These are by far the best of their class with superior padding, great for added cushion.

Spending the extra bucks in extra cushion is one of the best moves for your knees.

2. Strength warm up before the run

What this aims to do is a pre-run activation of your muscles in a way that they are better primed to work as shock absorbers and not your knees. The more your muscles around your knees as well toned before the run, the better.

You can achieve a quick ‘priming’ before a run by doing a 5-minute static bicycle routine followed by a set of basic squats (3x 15 reps each). This quick routine will serve as the perfect pre-run strength warm up, so your quads and hamstring are primed to absorb more of the impact and not your knees.

You can incorporate these ⇒ Potok Resistance Bands to the squat routine to boost the workout. This will get you the ultimate pre-run muscle ‘priming’.

After this quick routine you can do a quick and soft stretching. This will provide your muscles and joints a better ROM (range of motion) so they can perform even better.

Now you sure are ready to run!

By the way, check out the ⇒ Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike in case you want to include a bicycle pre-run warm up to your routine. This piece of equipment is low cost, great for home use, quick to assemble, and great quality.

3. Hill Training

This would sound counter intuitive, but did you know that hill training can give your knees a break from flat running? This can help relieve stress from your knees if incorporated as part of your training.

How is it that hill running does not impact your knees the same way as flat running? With hill running your landing impact is lower than doing regular flat running. This is achieved as your muscles will engage sooner with each stride and will absorb more of the work instead of your joints. The pounding on your knees on each stride is lower vs the regular pounding of flat running where your stride gets 100% of your weight. Be cautious though when going back downhill, which should be done gently and softly. Downhill running can be highly impactful for joints.

4. Anti-inflammatories the natural way

Too much training will put too much stress on your knees which can end up causing damage and inflammation to your joints. You can always aid the anti-inflammatory process of your body in a way that is natural and safe. It does not hurt after all, and you are doing your body a favor.

There are foods like Ginger, Turmeric, Bromelain with great anti-inflammatory properties that can help you keep inflammation in check, and naturally.

One product that has been found particularly effective is the ⇒ Boswellia Serrata by Superior Labs. A highly recommended product.

Taking it on a daily basis is safe and you are helping your body reduce the impact on your joints when you run.

5. Keeping your joints lubricated

As we age, your body produces less of the key joint components that keep your joints healthy. By supplementing these, you are giving your joints the natural components to keep them lubricated so the shock impact of running can be reduced.

At the end, proper lubrication will reduce friction in your cartilage to help extend the life of your joints too.

The most important components for the health of your joints are: collagen, MSM, glucosamine, and hyaluronic acid (HA)

Unfortunately, there is no single product providing the four components.

⇒ Joint Movement Glucosamine is an ultra-effective product (liquid presentation) that will provide you with Glucosamine, MSM, and Hyaluronic Acid. Contrary to Glucosamine in pills, this liquid form has an ultra-fast acting effect. This product is by far the best liquid formula for joint comfort.

This ⇒ Multi-Collagen powder is also a great product with 9g of collagen per serving. Your joints will thank you.

TIP: Do not mix with any sugary drink (refined sugar leads to a burst of inflammation throughout the body producing enzymes that break down collagen and elastin).