How to prevent running knee injuries

Running knee injuries are often attributed to age, a missed step or just too many miles under the belt. But is that really the case? Of course, tripping or overtraining can cause a knee injury, but we don’t think they’re the only reasons. There could be another culprit. Poor running form can cause additional strain on the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Covering long miles with poor form can easily lead to running knee injuries among others. Here’s how adjusting your form may save you from unnecessary pain. Focus on the knees Don’t drive your knees up and forward, no matter what. Pushing your knees out in front of you will cause your lower leg to swing forward and create a heel strike footfall. We’ll talk about why that’s the ideal way to develop running knee injuries below. You can also keep those knees bent and flexible while running. If you push those knees forward as described above, you’ll cause your knee to almost lock as you strike the ground. That is the ideal way to send shock through the joints. Focus on the feet As mentioned above, a heel strike footfall is a very easy way to damage your feet, ankles and knees. The friction caused by landing your foot in front of your body acts as a brake and works to slow you down. Make sure your feet are straight and parallel when you run. Turned out feet can twist the knees as they try to compensate for the poor gait. Concentrate on bringing the toes in from the hips, in order to align your joints properly. If you push your legs forward and use a heel strike you will find that you spend a lot more energy pulling your body forward over the legs. Instead, land on the fore- or mid-foot and keep your feet under your torso as much as possible. This reduces the sheer effort it takes to run, leaving your more energy and hopefully freer from any running knee injuries. About Enertor Advanced Technology Insoles – Enertor insoles are designed to prevent a number of common running injuries and provide more comfort. Designed by leading podiatrists to reduce your risk of injury, the unique design features support your foot throughout training. Enertor insoles are enhanced by D3O impact protection technology, which means they can provide more shock absorption than any other insole. Our expertise, combined with the patented D3O shock absorption technology, enables Enertor to deliver the most advanced injury prevention insoles on the market today. Enertor insoles are available to buy from our online shop. Whilst Enertor has over 18 years Orthotics experience, our blog content is provided for informational purposes only and it is not a substitute for your own doctor’s medical advice. Enertor advises anyone with an injury to seek their own medical advice – and do not make any health or medical related decisions based solely on information found on this site.