When running shoes hurt your knees

Running shoes mean a lifted heel

A lot of running and walking shoes are created with extra cushion under the heel. The extra cushion is great during walking or running. This softens the blow or impact to your joints. Since there is extra cushion in the heel, your heel is being elevated just above your toes. Prolonged periods of having your extra cushion under the heel may create several issues.

1. Overactive, or tight, calf muscle (gastrocnemius)

2. Resistance training (squats, lunges) with heels elevated will put more pressure in the knees

3. Lower Crossed Syndrome (anterior pelvic tilt which leads to back tightness, and or pain)

Strength Training with the Wrong Shoes

Given what we presented, imagine lifting a heavy weight during a squat. With an elevated heel, we are loading our body with a weight while simultaneously putting our joints and muscles in a compromising position. With everything shifted forward, our pelvis is rotated placing unwanted stress on our spine which can lead to lower back issues if not corrected with the proper shoes. Things such as a bulging or herniated disc can come from this which leads to difficulty in daily life, such as walking or bending over.

Corrective Exercise

• Stability work for the core shown here (dead bug, marching, ab position 1, plank)

• Stretches shown here (quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves)

• Find the right shoes - Reebok Crossfit style, Nike Metcons, or simply flat shoes like Chuck Taylors are great for exercises like deadlifts and squats.