Running for Your Life: Don’t Smoke Your Joints

I’ve become a believer in joint respect. When it comes to running, that means knees, hips and ankles.

So what to do? Well in two words: stretch and strengthen.

To his end, I have to thank my friends at One on One Physical Therapy on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. They turned me on to the most simple but effective exercises that I’ve been doing every other day without fail since late last fall.

That amounts to lunges (watch that the bent knee does NOT go beyond your outstretched foot) and squats (similarly, work to thrust the butt back in such a way that the bent knees do NOT go beyond your outstretched feet), and leg raises that focus on both quad and buttock muscle strengthening in order to take even more pressure off the knees (and consequently your ankles, which will benefit from a softer foot strike on run). Other exercises too, but this is the core of my treatment method.

As to hips, I always end my exercise workout with a series of hip stretches to keep them limber. Hamstrings too, which need special care as we age.

So, do yourself a favor. Don’t smoke your joints. The benefits will be amazing. When you’re deep into a pain-free five-mile run, you’ll thank me !

Next: Running for Your Life: Live Tree or Die