I jog irregularily. But at least once or twice a week. However in the past week I've been getting a pain on the inside of both my knees. Last night it was sore so I walked my last 10 minutes, and this morning both knees hurt when I got up. I've read this might be a touch of tendonitis, so is there a solution to maybe strengthen something, or should I just rest for a week?
Lots of factors and also what you mean by the inside? We talking the side of the knee facing inward, the knee pit or actually smack dab inside inside? Poor/inappropriate foot wear + poor running technique + hardfloor (pavement/road etc) can wreck everything from your ankle up, but as your knees are the hinges, they absorb most of the impact. As its both knees at the same time, it could just be you need to rest and re evaluate your footwork. Also look up some post workout stretches for the legs. If it was on one leg only, probably would suggest some kind of damage ligament or meniscus (most common)
Well if it's both knees that might also mean a combination of poor footwear and a road. I've kind of given up running on asphalt forever, when you think about it, you're better off jogging around your own house floorboards than asphalt, over time. Treadmills with some bounce are the safest way to jog, regularly or not, but you definitely have to care your for tender connective tissue during any kind of repetitive exercise. Take a break and do other training until your knees feel better, if it's short term it might just be a one-time affair, if not, at least you won't make it worse until you get treatment for whatever it is (which in most cases is minor, temporary, maybe some NSAIDS, etC).
I hate roadwork. Before Covid, I literally travelled 3 miles to a gym just so I could cardio days for competitions...rather than simply walk/jog it. Post(ish) Covid - Im doing a lap around the park. Spent some money on thick soled sneakers and ran on the mud. Much easier on the knees.
Get your gate checked if your planning to run regularly. The shoes you wear can make a big difference. I'm an over pronator,I can run 10 miles in the right shoes (support), and barely do 1-2 mile with pain in normal (neutral) shoes. Recently I worked on my cadence as I was heel striking too much, this is also a common issue which exacerbates leg issue. It could also be overtraining, which is common for people new to a routine. How many miles and how fast are you running? And the increase over previous week's volume is a factor. (10% Max increase is a common recommendation).
When in doubt see a sports physio who specialises in your sport. my local running shop has both a resident physio and gait analysis gismos. One of the most useful things anyone ever said to me was - your body is important - it deserves to have a monthly cash budget to spend on it. Paying for a trip to a sports physio should be considered an automatically justified expense, like paying the electricity bill.
Thanks. I've been running for years (30+). I used to do 10k 5 times a week, but had a bit of a hip thang going on from too much air kicking. I'd not run or trained much in anger for the past yearish, so with the onset of middle age and the lovely covid belly I decided to dig out the runners. I treated myself to new, and this time a got a virtually identical pair of asics to my old ones that had lost their bounce. I have a fairly neutral running style, but I do come down a bit heavy on the left ( due to the F**ked hip). It seems after resting for a full week that it is being caused by weak glutes and hip flexors. So I'm going to not think about the running for a while and concentrate on getting basics to a higher level. More strength training, more stretching (although I'm still full splits capable), I feel my hips are a bit tighter still. I'm also finding that one of my least favourite exercises; Skipping, is something I can do without any knee pain. This will work my cardio but with much lower knee impact. xiao bu; little steps is what I always tell my students, but getting back from a slump or injury takes discipline and patience.
Alongside the other advice here, it might be worth checking in with a good running coach after a layoff, make sure you're still moving well
In regards to the knee pain, then get it looked at. Messed hip, could mean the tightening of the muscles around that area and your knee (being the weight bearing suspension) is taking a heavier impact than normal. So yes it could be tendonitis or it could be a cracked meniscus piece floating about
pain on inside of the knees can also be an indicator of meniscus issues, you may want to get that checked by a Orthopedic MD. Also having a hip issue, our bodies tend to correct in ways we do not notice that can have a negative effect on other parts of our body, and I am speaking from experience, and headed for a knee replacement
I been threatened with knee replacement before. 1st time they went into. The ACL was partially torn and mensicus was cracked. 2nd time - meniscus shaving and hamstring threading/ACL reconstruction. 3rd time - (awaiting) possible full tear but the replacement graft is still intact. Hopefully you dont get the full replacement done...I hear that sucks.
Tight IT band and hip flexors can lead to some of the worst knee pain you'll ever feel. The IT band is too tough to stretch, so you have to stretch everything around it. After a few says off, stretching, deep squats. Child's Pose in yoga. Basically stretching in full range of motion helps.
I know a really good IT band stretch that a PT taught me, but it's not easy and definitely requires a certain level of discomfort. For that reason I rarely do it, but when I do...hurts so good! There are couple variations but basically it involves lying on a table and using gravity to stretch the band. Works like a charm but it's such a tight stretch, not for the faint of heart. The key like all stretches is to breathe.
I use the foam roller or lacrosse ball on the IT band for massage after a run or squats. Not a lot of time on it, but it seems to help.
