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Healthy Habits Science

Runners Knee

Feb 12, 2017
by Jani du Toit
Comments: 2
Tags: blogger, exercise, fitness, health, healthy, JBRobinblog, lifestyle, motivation, runner, running, science, South-Africa

Recently My Husband started running with me. I’m super impressed and happy that he is giving this a try, and he asked me, out of his own. This came as a surprise, but I’m happy.

I don’t usually run with friends and when someone tells me –  “We should Train together!”.  I’m never sure what to say. My Husband is my best friend and the person I want to do things with, everything else with other people just feels like allot of coordination.

SO were going through the motions of getting into running together – I’ve Kinda forgotten what it felt like in the beginning to not be fit. How hard it was, and how my body reacted to suddenly moving. But the number one thing you will ALWAYS hear as a beginner runner is:

“Running damages you knees!” or “Running is hard on your joints!”

My husband is a man, so he is allot heavier than me and he previously preferred weight training to cardio, so he’s a little bigger built than your average runner. The first thing that seems like it won’t work is when a person of a bigger build starts running. But if you think about it everybody’s frames are built in proportion, so why just because they are heavier should their knees now suddenly get injured?

Most people that say things like the above are not runners, or don’t enjoy running. I got so nervous every time someone said this in front of my husband, to the point where I wanted to tackle them. Keeping him motivated to run was hard enough without ignorance jumping in and discouraging him.

So I decided to do the research.

– What is runner’s knee exactly, and what are the myths around it –

Contrary to popular believe Runner’s knee is not just any type of pain in your knee and can be easily misdiagnosed if you don’t know of better. As a new runner your whole body, legs, feet, bum muscles and even your back muscles are moving differently than it’s used to. It is natural for some muscles to hurt a little in the beginning. But if we all stopped the moment something hurt, then we wouldn’t go anywhere in life.

Below is  images of the knee and all the places it could possibly hurt

You need to figure out why it’s hurting and fix it. You have to educate yourself and read up. Now self-diagnosis is not always a good idea but there are more than enough resources out there for you to teach yourself how to fix things.

According to Runners world  – Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), is when the stress of running cause’s irritation where the kneecap rests on the thighbone. This can result in a sharp pain that can be sudden or chronic, it may disappear while you’re running and return again afterward. Most people blame the way your knees move as the cause of the irritation, while this can be the problem, most people don’t consider that it can be fixed with simple exercises. The cause can often be linked to weak quadriceps and tight hamstrings.

Quadriceps are a large muscle group that includes the four prevailing muscles on the front of the thigh. It is the great extensor muscle of the knee, forming a large fleshy mass which covers the front and sides of your thigh bone. By strengthening these muscles you should be able to remove some of the unnecessary stress that your knees go through and tight hamstrings can put pressure on the knee. If you want to treat and avoid runner’s knee, add strengthening and stretching to your workout routine.

I have personally never had Runners knee so I’m speaking purely out of what I’ve researched. The pain is localised around the actual knee cap, and directly behind it. It feels like a tenderness almost in the centre of the knee cap. The pain usually worsens as the intensity of exercise increases.

Myths Debunked:

  • A Study conducted by researchers at Stanford University and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in August 2008 compared the progression of knee osteoarthritis in distance runners and non-runners over an 18-year period and found that it was neither more prevalent nor more severe in the group of runners.
  • The largest study of runners ever completed, which was recently published in Medicine Science in Sports & Exercise, concluded that running does not increase the risk of cartilage breakdown. Runners had half the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis compared to walkers.
  • High-impact exercises like running spur bone growth and strengthen the muscles around the knee, thereby taking pressure off the joint.
  • A study of nearly 75,000 runners and nearly 15,000 walkers published in 2013 found that runners were significantly less likely to develop arthritis than the walkers – the risk was actually roughly half. Paul Williams, the author of the study, suggested that running lowers BMI more than walking, and that lower body weight is the key to preventing arthritis. His study showed that the greater the weekly mileage of the runner, the lower their risk rate dropped. Again, this could be related to a lower body weight: the single-largest risk factor for knee osteoarthritis is obesity.

And there’s more, hundreds more of Websites stating the same! Don’t just jump and listen to what everybody has to say – do your own Research, make up your own mind.

If your body hurts there is always a way to make it stronger and improve your performance. It is important to remember that if you have a family history of osteoarthritis and bad knees that you should be extra attentive to your knees and that running might not be a long term sport for you.

Becoming a runner has much more benefits than not doing any exercise at all. So try it, once you break through the hard and the nitty-gritty of getting fit you’ll love it! Before you know it you won’t be able to remember what you did before you started running.

Happy Running!

XOXOX – Jani

Further Reading:
  • Runners world
  • GQ Magazine
  • Outside online
  • WebMD Medical Reference
  • The Guardian
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May 21, 2017
Jani du Toit
0 Comments
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RUNNING PREGNANT : SECOND TRIMESTER

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, midwife or nurse. The information expressed in the series “Running Pregnant – By JBRobinBog.com” should not be

Jan 06, 2018
Jani du Toit
3 Comments

Comments:

  • Hannah February 13, 2017

    Very interesting! I enjoy cycling AND running usually the two can be in competition, with cyclists often pointing out that ‘running is hard on the joints’ however I’ve never had any problems personally, and have also been quite sceptic as to weather there is actually concrete proof of runners having damaged joints.

    • Jani du Toit February 14, 2017

      Hi Hannah, Thank you for your comment!
      Glad you found it interesting – I think it differs from person to person,
      I also think that the additional exercises help improve a athletes chances of not getting injured.

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HI I’M JANI – RUNNING MOM

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JBRobinblog Running-Mom Jani
Honestly my transition from 28 to 29 and maybe sti Honestly my transition from 28 to 29 and maybe still to go up to 30 feels a bit eye twitching! 🥺😂 I mean WTF people?! I’m where I’ve wanted to be for so long, what I imagined would be the best time of my life. My own business, & working with my husband on his business, two kids, with allot of flexibility in my day.
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Every few years I’ve been able to see or realize when I’m going through a big change, a life shift if I can call it that, like new phase that gets grown into, & it is though 🙁🙁😞
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Change & then uncertainty of the unknown has the ability to freak us out a bit. 😐😐
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My husband & I find ourselves in a very difficult phase in out lives. Two small kids, who we love so much, but it can be allot most days, lol or every day😱😥😂😂🤭, & you won’t understand it till you’re there,
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Complete & utter financial uncertainty. Working so hard towards things we hope will pay off in the future. Whilst were not even sure how were gonna pay some things the next month..😮😶
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Fighting and not getting along at all, 😦😑it’s like amazing one minute and then chaos the next. Little sleep, stress, constantly putting someone else’s needs above yours. 😞it can lead you to crack hey, 😅😂🤭🤦🏽‍♀️
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And when I saw this picture it was like a light went on... 💡 I have to stop resisting whatever changes are happening, try as hard as I can to adapt to them. Make peace with the life that I might be outgrowing 🙈😞 no matter how sad it feels to let go of things, and TRY to accept the next phase and hopefully then things will feel a bit better. 
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Becoming a Mom of two is a big shift, you give so much of yourself on a constant basis to someone else...some days I feel like I’m actually mourning my old life, 😶🥺every day after dropping the kids at school I get so caught up in the nostalgia and memories of younger years that I feel I might be overshadowing my present life, procrastinating on my current life... 
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I’m gonna try & stop that now... I need to find a new way to be confident & achieve my goals.

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#runningmom #noexcuserunner #jbrobinblog #workingmomlife #breastfeedingrunner  #11monthspostpartum  #breastfeedingmom #momlife
Night 3 of Solo patenting 😶😐 . It has truly Night 3 of Solo patenting 😶😐
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It has truly not been that bad, I’ve not lost my shit once with the kids😂🤩🥳so that is always a win, 😂 but what I am sorry about is missing our run tonight because of the rain, it was very light rain, but I can’t run with them in it...🤷🏻‍♀️ and the whole idea of the three of us going for a run is, it’s a way to waste some time before dinner and bath - ⭐️
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The kids get kids get kinda emotional here close to the end of the week when my husband goes away, it’s like we all miss him and were all kinda swimming in emotions and it can clash a bit if not guided 😂🙄🤭so the pram run usually helps.
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But tonight I ended up going to the store with them when I saw it’s raining... and we needed some pizza 😂 But it was quite the mission 🙄 Paul whines, Lily whines... Paul cries ... and so on, 
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But despite some challenges we made it to bedtime, and when Lily pushed me away when she was feeding so she can chat and make noises, I felt like crying - I really just need her to go to bed easily tonight , and then Paul said those dreadful words ‘ Mamma ek voel nie leke nie ‘ 😩😵
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I literally went downstairs made them both a bottle, gave it to them , closed the door and left and sofar it seems they are both sleeping?🤷🏻‍♀️🤭😂🙏🏻🤞🏻 please lets hope it stays that way!
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#runningmom #asicsfrontrunner #asicsfrontrunnerza #noexcuserunner #asicsfrontrunner2020 #runningpregnant #newmom #clothdiapers #plasticfree #jbrobinblog #workingmomlife #breastfeedingrunner #shoereview #10monthspostpartum  #breastfeedingmom #asicstrabucomax #asicsrunning #momlife
Holding Back 😐😕 . I feel like I’m for some Holding Back 😐😕
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I feel like I’m for some irrational reason too scared to run..🙄🙄 I’m scared of how hard it feel to get back to where I was before I got pregnant with Paul... or even before I got pregnant again with Lily..
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Getting back into the easy and amazing running routine I had feels absolutely impossible. And that’s simply because it is... I have two kids now, and my whole lifestyle has changed, I’m sleep deprived half the time and my anxiety creeps up on me like crazy?! 🤭🙄
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And the most absurd thing of it all is that with my new ‘career’ (haha can I even call it that?😅😂) I am so flexible to work my run in when it suits me , but still I actively try to avoid it every other day...
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It feels so hard to get back to where I want to be, so hard in fact that the effort I need to put in scares me,I wish things were as easy as when I thought it was hard😂 when running every morning at 4-5am felt difficult 😅🤭 now I have the time yet I’m constantly holding myself back. I’m so stuck in my own head?! Why is that though?
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If it was easy, everyone would be doing it...
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Hard work will pay off...
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Consistency is the key...
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All these sayings and yet no remote motivation comes up..🙈😐🤷🏻‍♀️ I honestly think Mom guilt is my biggest enabler to this consistent ‘holding-back’ behavior..🤭🙄 but I have no idea hoe to get rid of that feeling?!
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Moms, raise your hands if you feel me? 🙋🏻‍♀️or maybe it’s just me and I’m loosing my marbles 🤭🤪😶😶
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#ASICS #ASICSFrontRunner #SoundMindSoundBody #ASICSFrontRunner2021 
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Double Stroller Run 🥵🥵 . Today’s run was h Double Stroller Run 🥵🥵
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Today’s run was hard but I’m so glad I got to it, more like, forced myself a bit, especially after both kids were basically a bit fussy as I loaded them into the pram...🙄🤭but I’m solo parenting this week with my husband away for work , so I have to , have to force myself to stick to a routine, otherwise all hell will break loose 🤭🤭
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So we went for a run, had dinner, bathed and in bed⭐️
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My day didn’t work out as planned, I wanted to run this morning to kick my day off on a positive note but - it rained 🙄 and I wanted to have my diapers washed and dry by the end of the day so I could sort the washing before getting the kids from school, but it rained 🙄🤦🏽‍♀️ I also didn’t finish sewing as much as I wanted- so then my anxiety started kicking into high gear🤭😐🙈 thats when I knew, I HAD to go for a run, even if it was with both kids, otherwise I’d end up with a bad start to what could be a chaotic week 😐😅🤷🏻‍♀️
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It was hard and they were heavy, both making turns asking and moaning for something having me stop what feels like every 500m🙄🙄🙄🙄 so that was super annoying and such hard work, gaining momentum with the very heavy stroller only to be stopped again 😐😐😐🥵🥵🥵but we survived, I had to basically have a coco-pop ready to put in Lily’s hand, every time she lifted her hand 😂😂🤦🏽‍♀️ the things we do Moms.. the things we do..😂😂😂
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Both kids in bed now, now for a big cup of coffee and some washing to fold , school bags to prep🤷🏻‍♀️

#ASICS #ASICSFrontRunner #SoundMindSoundBody #ASICSFrontRunner2021 
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My Blom 🌸 . Lily you make me so happy! Your per My Blom 🌸
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Lily you make me so happy! Your personality is starting to really shine through & your becoming your own human more and more every day! 🤗🤗 I love it! 
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You are so spontaneous & happy, & where Paul refuses to get his hands dirty, you just go for it 😂🤣 oh my goodness you are always so dirty & messy 🤣🙈🙈 no matter how clean I try to keep you! I’m  too nervous to even put @little_monsters_za stock on you for casual pictures 🤣🤣🤦🏽‍♀️🤭
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You are very adventurous & you go where you want to or try your best despite everyone always picking you up 😂you want to walk so badly, & your close 😉🤩
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You are such a grabber 🙄🤭nothing is safe from you hands😂 you love food, especially tomatoes at this point 😂 you are so busy and I don’t get a minute to rest when you are in a high chair, & when your on the ground it’s even worse😐😐 but your so easy for the most part, we enjoy you so much!😅 You make poor Paul have to cover for his wickets half the time coz you just want all his toys, but I think you just want to play with him thats all.😂❤️
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You can give hugs, you can say Mamma🥰 you try to say Blom & your first unofficial sentence was ‘Kyk Da!!’ And its hilarious when you say it 🤣🌈
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You are my wild child for sure🌸My Lily of the Valley 🥰

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#runningmom #asicsfrontrunner #asicsfrontrunnerza #noexcuserunner #asicsfrontrunner2020 #runningpregnant #newmom #clothdiapers #plasticfree #jbrobinblog #workingmomlife #breastfeedingrunner #shoereview #10monthspostpartum  #breastfeedingmom #asicstrabucomax #asicsrunning #momlife.
So that was Fun - NOT! 🙄😂🤦🏽‍♀️😬😬
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My run did ton go as planned 😂🤦🏽‍♀️ At about 1km jn I realized that I needed to pee so badly, and usually I’m up for a little wee if the run is going great, but today not so much 😕😕
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I don’t think I’ve ever engaged my pelvic floor as much as I did on this run😂🤣 I was trying to keel it in so bad , haha but I soon rea I was not gonna make it and even though I gave it my all to try and make the run as best as it could be it was a , ‘let’s just turn around and go home’ type of run...
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Meh, somedays it happens, 😕🤷🏻‍♀️ tomorrow we try again! 🤩😬 
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I have to say, I think I’m entering an older age now..(duh!)😂😐 but mu body is doing all wack kinda things, my skin is so bad and breaking out, my hormones are all over the place, tired Coz Lily is haven’t a bad sleeping week again....🤷🏻‍♀️😬
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And other Ladies or Mommies going through weird transformations?🤷🏻‍♀️🌸 getting older is weird...

#ASICS #ASICSFrontRunner #SoundMindSoundBody #ASICSFrontRunner2021 
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Good start ✅ . Literally forced myself to get o Good start ✅ 
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Literally forced myself to get out of the house, I was so amped for a run last night , but this morning my motivation felt a bit watered down😂😂 but it was great! 🥳🌸🤩
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Only way to get out of a run is to force yourself I guess 😂😂

#ASICS #ASICSFrontRunner #SoundMindSoundBody #ASICSFrontRunner2021 
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V-day ❤️❤️ . Valentines day takes on a wh V-day ❤️❤️
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Valentines day takes on a whole new meaning when you have kids❤️ You’d think it means that Mommy and Daddy need some much needed alone time, but in all honesty its so much more fun to char it with your kids😍 having them dress up and enjoy in the sillyness of it all.
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So dress the kids up, buy some red balloons for absolutely no reason and have some fun with it, the joy of seeing them in the moment is better than any bunch of Roses 😅😅❤️ this afternoon we’re gonna go buy some balloons after school  and eat wat to much chocolate 🎈 just because we can!☺️☺️
Remember why you started ❤️ . Sometimes I forg Remember why you started ❤️
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Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy running and how it makes me feel. I get so caught up in kids, and the house and work and other daily tasks that can be hard, that the moment I have a spare minute to myself I can bare to think about going for a run, I’d rather take a nap or watch half a movie or something 🤷🏻‍♀️
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I get why Moms get to a point where they stop running, it’s SUCH a mission to get yourself to commit to a run when you’d rather just relax, like lie down relax,😂😂 not exercise relax. And there was a time where running was my relax, but now it just feels hard to make time for 😕 oh and the Mom Guilt that I could be doing something else...so thats why I run with a double stroller 😂😂=Mom guilt...😞 and it’s a heavy guilt trip to push Mommy ...believe me!🤨
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But for the most part running actually keeps me sane 😂🤪 and I also tend to forget that it’s time I need for myself too, to stay healthy to feel good about myself, and to let go of anger and frustration. 🙈 and we Moms need all of if we’re gonna be the best Moms we can be...⭐️⭐️
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So tomorrow is Valentine’s Day Mom, if you wake up and Daddy didn’t prep any type of surprise, no roses or chocolates, then you put on those running shoes, hand him that baby and go run for as long as you need to fill your cup😂😂❤️ remember to pic a route goes past a coffee shop 😉 sit down , have coffee and cake before you head home 😂😂🥳⭐️🌈🌈 call it Momventinesday! 😉😅

#ASICS #ASICSFrontRunner #SoundMindSoundBody #ASICSFrontRunner2021 
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#runningmom #asicsfrontrunner #asicsfrontrunnerza #noexcuserunner #asicsfrontrunner2020 #runningpregnant #newmom #clothdiapers #plasticfree #jbrobinblog #workingmomlife #breastfeedingrunner #shoereview #10monthspostpartum  #breastfeedingmom #asicstrabucomax #asicsrunning #momlife.
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