What are some tips to protect your knees when running long distances?

Running is good, but it hurts one knee alone. Warm up well before running and stretch and relax after running. When your foot lands on the ground, you must use the forefoot force and do not hit the ground with your back heel.

Don't lift your feet too high, you're running, you're not jumping. Plus a suitable running shoe. Running should feel light and brisk, with little sound under your feet.

If you run on a track, don't keep running in one direction, alternate clockwise and counterclockwise, and don't just turn in one direction when you run on the road. There is also a need to pay attention to self-improvement in running form, and feel that the fatigue of the muscles on both sides of the body is equal at any time, otherwise there is a problem with posture. I have been running for 4 years, averaging about 5 kilometers a day, without any knee damage.

I'm a marathon runner myself, so I know a little bit about it. Choose the right running shoes, choose whether they are stable or cushioned according to your weight, foot shape, and the way you are used to landing on the ground. Strength training to increase the leg muscles, especially the part of the muscle groups connected to the knees, is a good way to squat against the wall.

In 2014, when I was preparing for the Hangzhou Marathon, I often ran 10 kilometers on the 400-meter track during training, and then deliberately added strength training in this area, and later completed the whole marathon unexpectedly.

Before running, warm up for 5 minutes, let the whole body musculoskeletal joints enter the state of exercise, the warm-up actions for the knee joints include squatting, leg raising, kicking back, and stretching the thigh muscles also helps to protect the knee during exercise, stretching can make the lubricating fluid secretion in the joint cavity of the knee more sufficient, and reduce the hard-to-hard "collision" between the joints during exercise.

Correct posture during running is the key to avoiding sports injuries. Keep the upper body stable and do not shake from side to side, the eyes look straight ahead, the shoulders should be properly relaxed to avoid the chest, the swing arm should be a front and back movement with the shoulder as the axis, the left and right movements should not exceed the midline of the body, the waist should be kept naturally upright, and the landing position of the feet is directly below the body, so that the knee will naturally bend, and the muscles will absorb the impact of the landing to avoid injuring the knee.

Warm up before running, stretch all relevant muscles, joints and ligaments before running to prepare for the rest of the exercise; I wear cushioned running shoes, and I generally use to bend my knees and toes to the ground, so that the muscles of my upper and lower legs can bear the impact of the ground, and at the same time, the force of the impact is properly cushioned.

Control the time and speed of your run. The faster the speed means the greater the impact on the knee and the greater the damage to the knee, so it is advisable to run slowly; The running time should not be too long, running for a long time also means a long time of knee friction, generally jogging for 40 to 60 minutes is the most suitable for ordinary people.

Try to choose soft ground for exercise. Use plastic tracks or flat asphalt roads to avoid excessive impact on the knee joints during exercise. Choosing sneakers with soft soles can reduce the impact on the knee when running, thereby reducing knee damage.

Strengthen muscle training. The strength of the legs, especially the thigh muscles, protects the knee joint, especially the quadriceps muscles and tensor fascia lata. There are many ways to practice your thigh muscles, such as lunges, squats, stair climbs, and wall squats.