# Running and the Knee **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 25, 2007, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889 "2007-10-25T00:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/21 "2007-10-25T19:54:22Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Just this morning I was on a x-country forum where the guys were bitching about how tough (and boring) it was to run in water, as well as how good it was for them. [/QUOTE] The runners I know who do this, do it while recovering from a specific injury. A fair number of college kids, who do not always look like runners, come in and do it as my group finishes at the pool. I always thought it looked incredibly boring, until I realized here I was swimming with my face in the water for 1.5 hours, with only maybe 5 minutes to talk, and they could chat away the whole time they were there. Tell your nephew congrats and good luck! ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/22 "2007-10-25T19:54:32Z")
[QUOTE=Dinsdale] Just this morning I was on a x-country forum where the guys were bitching about how tough (and boring) it was to run in water, as well as how good it was for them. [/QUOTE] I can second this. I ran while I was pregnant until almost my eight month, when I had to switch to water running. I can tell you that water running was ten times more difficult than land running, which I would have preferred to do, but my stomach obviously prevented it after a while (all that bouncing on an already-compressed bladder starts to hurt after two seconds of doing it). And as for boring - I can think of little more boring than running up and down those lanes. It was worse than watching paint dry. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/23 "2007-10-25T20:29:03Z")
[QUOTE=overlyverbose] I can second this. I ran while I was pregnant until almost my eight month, when I had to switch to water running. I can tell you that water running was ten times more difficult than land running… [/QUOTE] Definitely. It’s even harder doing it into a current. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/24 "2007-10-25T20:33:03Z")
I’ve been running for years-- no knee problems that I didn’t already have before I started. Thought I’d add that in so we can turn these anecdotes into data. 🙂 Still, running can cause plenty of other injuries, and I’m fighting a lower back problem right now. Not sure if it was caused by running, but it sure gets aggravated by it. Still, I try to run on dirt trails as much as possible-- easier on the joints, and much better overall scenery. Every form of exercise has its problems, so you just have to learn to work around them. When I used to swim a lot, I’d get terrible shoulder pain. Cycling gets my sciatica going. You name it. The only thing worse is… doing nothing! ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/25 "2007-10-25T20:38:29Z")
Thanks, Scylla. I have bad knees, but never gave up running. Although they feel fairly good most days, I was convinced I it was a ticking timebomb. Maybe not after all. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889/26 "2007-10-25T20:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] Who does that? I’ve never heard anyone say “Oh, I’m fat because I can’t _run_. Too bad there are no other forms of exercise! Damn my luck.” [/QUOTE] I’ve not seen/heard that. What I have seen and heard at weight loss meetings, where people are nominally getting together to _help each other lose weight_, is that person A will mention how well his/her running is going. Person B then says s/he wishes s/he could run, but can’t because of the joint stresses, or other spurious comments. It’s sardonically amusing to see Person B keep coming up with reasons that they can’t do any of the other exercises suggested. Lack of time (“Who will watch the kids?”) or opportunity (“I don’t have a pool.”) or safety (“I can’t bike on the roads, have you seen the drivers around here?”) all come up. And while any single reason _might_ be legitimate, when it’s a completely predictable response to any suggestion of exercise… :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-and-the-knee/423889.md?page=1)