I would like to know if running 3-4 miles a day or every other day would be unhealthy on my knees and joints.?

Question

I am 15, in pretty good shape(sub 5 mile) been active my whole life and no severe injuries so far. Iam looking into getting in to better shape for running and i love to run. Will running 3-4 miles a day hurt me!?

PLEASE HELP

Answer 1

nah

Answer 2

You won't have to worry about your joints until you're a bit older, but I would advise you to be careful about upping your mileage too quickly. It's not really an issue if you're just looking for 3-4 miles a day, but just be mindful of that. It's generally more helpful to think of weekly (I use Mon-Sun) totals for your mileage, and even more helpful to watch your seven day totals (Tues-Mon or Friday-Thurs - this is because it's easy to miss a couple of days at the beginning of a week and try to compensate later in the week. Then, the next week, you overcompensate at the beginning of the week so you don't repeat the mistake from the previous week. The end result is that you accidentally significantly increase your seven day total while keeping your weekly total the same). Anyways, a good rule of thumb is not increase your weekly mileage by more than 15% at a time. It's also generally wise ot not increase your mileage and your intensity (pace or effort) at the same time. If you want to add mileage, make sure you're not doing your hardest workouts at the same time as you are increasing your mileage. Good luck!

Answer 3

Improper running techniques can wear down the joints in your knees and ankles.  If you're truly worried about this, run on dirt or grass instead of concrete.  It will lessen the stress on your joints.

Also buy a nice pair of running shoes.  Saucony makes some nice ones at a reasonable price.  A well designed running shoe will distribute the impact and absorb some of the shock when your foot hits the ground.

Good luck and enjoy your running career!

Answer 4

Of course not. People run a lot more than that. Like 90 mile weeks. That's crazy.....lol

So go out and run with out worries!

Answer 5

i dnt think it will hurt u cuz i run 2-3 miles bout every other day and i may up it to 3-4 miles since its summer...

Answer 6

No, not at all, especially since you're so young- most people don't have joint problems until they get into their 30s. If your knees do start to hurt, (which they may for a time from upping your mileage), just take a day or so off until they feel better. If for some reason they DO hurt consistantly then you may consider getting some glucosamine chondroiton (supplement).