I can’t remember exactly when I stopped running. Probably in my 40s, after the boys grew up and their interests shifted from running, jumping, and playing to video games, cars, and girls. When I started considering physical fitness again a few years later, I thought running would put too much stress on my joints, so bike riding became my cardio of choice.
Recently, however, after gaining a few more years of wisdom, I realized that I had it completely backwards. That my knees and ankles didn’t get old, dried out, or painful from running; it was not running that caused them to break down. The compression and decompression while running pump synovial fluid around your joints to nourish them. In fact, it is required maintenance, like changing the oil in your car.
Cartilage lacks blood vessels, so it relies on movement to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste. Biking made sense because it was less stressful, but running wasn’t actually the cause of pain and stiffness. The common myth that running “wears out” knees as we age is unfounded. Synovial fluid is produced by the joint lining and acts like oil to reduce friction. Movement is essential for circulating it and maintaining healthy joints.
“We are designed to run, and we increase our chance of daily happiness when we do so.” ~ Jeff Galloway
The compression phase (your foot hitting the ground while running) pushes fluid and water out of the cartilage, similar to wringing a sponge. The decompression phase (lift-off) pulls in fresh fluid, oxygen, and nutrients. Exercise increases overall synovial fluid production, helps prevent stiffness, and removes damaged cells from the joint. Recreational runners have significantly lower rates of knee and hip osteoarthritis than non-runners or sedentary people, approximately three times lower.
Running promotes cartilage adaptation and growth instead of degeneration. It does not speed up arthritis in healthy joints; rather, it helps protect them by maintaining a lower body weight and building stronger muscles. Middle-aged runners often experience pain due to factors such as weak quadriceps or hip muscles, poor form or biomechanics, improper footwear, sudden increases in mileage, hard surfaces, or underlying conditions such as meniscal wear or inflammation.
“Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you’re not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you’re not demanding more from yourself – expanding and learning as you go – you’re choosing a numb existence. You’re denying yourself an extraordinary trip.” ~ Dean Karnazes
So, I’ve decided to give running another shot. I don’t have the ultra-lean body of a distance runner from Kenya or Ethiopia; I’m built like a Fullback, a sprinter, not a marathoner. The 5K distance is about as far as I want to run, and Vickie enjoys running 5Ks, so it’s something we can do together. We won’t be changing the blog to 6 or 8 MPH, though; walking will remain the core of our active lifestyle, but running will add an extra dimension.
Cycling will always be my favorite type of cardio; I enjoy being on the bike. Spending more time in the saddle means more benefits. Cycling puts less stress on the joints than running. It also strengthens supporting muscles without the jarring impacts. Running is fun too, and I really enjoy the different sensation of the foot strike when running instead of walking.
I’m gradually getting back into running by doing walk-run intervals in a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session. Mixing things up keeps it interesting, and the 5K training complements other activities in our fitness routine. I only run every third day, and the first 10 minutes of each run are for making sure everything still works. And, no matter how slow I go, I’m still lapping all the folks on the couch.
“Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up.” ~ Dean Karnazes
