Outside Online spoke to Mohammad Saad, PT, DPT, physical therapist at HSS about how to avoid knee pain when you run. 

For many, running is more than just exercise: it’s a social outlet, a form of meditation, or a way to challenge yourself. But chronic knee pain can sideline you for longer than you’d like. The good—and maybe surprising—news is that running itself isn’t inherently bad for your knees. In fact, research has shown that runners may have healthier knee cartilage than people who are sedentary. The trick is managing the impact.

“In simple terms, your knees are usually innocent bystanders,” said Saad. The knee sits between the hip and the foot, he explained. If either of those body parts isn’t doing its job well, due to a lack of strength or mobility, poor mechanics, or not tolerating the load you’re putting on them, your knees absorb extra stress.

“We’re all humans with imperfect mechanics,” Saad continued. “It’s usually not ‘bad knees’—it’s a load management problem.”

Read the full article at outsideonline.com.