#2. RUNNING HURTS YOUR KNEES
So what if running improves cardiovascular health, burns calories, helps stave off high blood pressure and osteoporosis — it’s a bitch on your knees. Well, for marathon runners, anyway. Nearly 80 percent of injuries related to marathons occur below the knee, with the most common being patellofemoral syndrome, or “runner’s knee. The repeated pounding and bending can cause pain, swelling, and popping sensations associated with runner’s knee.
Then there’s Achilles tendinitis and plantar fasciitis, which feels like a thousand burning pitchforks are being lodged into your heel when you stand or walk. Stretching and massaging swollen plantar fascia — the ligament that spans from the heel to the top of the foot — can help. But so can R&R, which you’re most likely amazing at already.
