Recently (maybe at the beginning of the year) you took up walking, jogging or running to get back into shape. You wanted to do something for your health and thought jogging was a good place to start.

CATEGORY 2

You have always loved walking, jogging, and running. You’ve done it most of your life and it is something you truly enjoy. You truly consider yourself a walker/jogger!

Besides enjoying this healthy habit, there is another thing these two groups have in common.

You worry about knee pain!

You have either experienced it, scared you’re going to get it again, or it’s at a point where you can’t enjoy jogging anymore.

Whether you just started, or you are training for a 5K, preventing injury is important.

There is no one exact reason why injury occurs. And there is not one way to fix a problem.

However, there are consistent patterns and factors that normally exist with knee pain and walking. These factors can include weakness, tight muscles, mistakes in training, and issues with bad form.

Most of the time, these injuries don’t happen overnight. There are signs and symptoms that occur. It’s up to you to listen and take the right course of action.

Simply put: if it hurts, don’t do it. If you feel an injury coming on, take a break for a few days. If it goes away, you can slowly get back into your running routine. If you have questions, ask an expert.

If you want to continue enjoying jogging, here are a few things you should consider doing to protect your joints and muscles:

Tip 1: Use an Ice Pack

Make sure to spend 10 minutes after your run icing any nagging pain. Most pains are from an inflammatory issue, so using something like a cold pack will decrease the swelling and pain.

Tip 2: supportive shoes

It is extremely important to wear comfortable, supportive shoes. Flip-flops or flat shoes do not provide support for your foot. It is also important to change out your shoes after a certain amount of wear.

Tip 3: Strengthen your “core”

Improving the strength of your abdominal and hip muscles help support your lower body (hips, knees and feet). Having a strong “core” will cause less pressure on your legs and allows for more efficient running.

Being out there in the open, getting that rush from moving freely is something we all should experience. If you are concerned that this might be taken away from you, know that you have a choice. Do not stop. Getting back out there is possible.

My team and I are happy to answer any questions by phone at

(909) 757-5143.

Healthy regards,

Dr. Carlo Sayo, DPT, OCS

“We Help Active Adults Get Out of Pain, So They Can Get Back to Doing the Things They Love to Do!”