I've been starting to get into running at the age of 44. I've been enjoying it but have noticed small slight soreness in my knees and hips from running 20-30 mpw.
I'm just wondering if those of you who run more miles assume that you will have knee/hip pain later in life. Is that just part of running, knowing joint pain will eventually be a problem?
Yes
Studies have found lower rates of arthritis in former runners than non-runners. That doesn't mean you won't develop joint pain, but it's less likely to occur with running than without running.
But it's not later in life you need to worry about . It's RIGHT NOW. If you've just started, you're likely doing too much, too soon. You can get into good aerobic shape over a few months, but it takes longer for your body to catch up in terms of joints and tendons. I lost a lot of years running in my 30s because I'd get extremely bad knee pain after 2-3 weeks. Finally in my 40s I started off slowly enough that I was able to keep making sustainable improvement.
Slow things down, decrease volume, take more rests, and strengthen the relevant muscles (the ones that running tends not to use) until you can run pain free. That way you can keep running every day for a long time to come.
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jfrank wrote:
I've been starting to get into running at the age of 44. I've been enjoying it but have noticed small slight soreness in my knees and hips from running 20-30 mpw.
I'm just wondering if those of you who run more miles assume that you will have knee/hip pain later in life. Is that just part of running, knowing joint pain will eventually be a problem?
Your knees and hips would probably be a lot worse if you didn't run. Most sedentary people I know at this age are breaking down. There is a huge difference between someone who is athletic in their early 40s and someone who is sedentary.
Always remember #nohumanislimited
Get in the gym and build up a strength program focusing on doing lots of squats with some other exercises for quads and hamstrings. Take it very easy on the squats and very gradually build up your routine.
If you have any knee or hip pain, take a day or two off and ease back into it. If it persists, take a few more days off. If it is still an issue, take a few weeks off until you feel zero pain and start your running back up from scratch. If that doesn't work, go see an ortho and check for arthritis or other damage.
Don't wear Hokas.
If you start feeling good, do some hill sprints. Nothing crazy hard. But hills are great for form and strength.
There will always be some aches and pains with running, especially after 40. But you should be able to feel good when you run and not be sore the next day. With smart training and good strength, you should have no problem running 20-30 mpw through your 50s and 60s without doing any permanent damage.
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