This content is brought to you in partnership with OrthoCarolina, one of the nation’s leading orthopedic practices with offices across the Southeast. 

If you’re a beginner runner and you’re worried about keeping your knees safe from injury, this is the guide for you! We spoke with physical therapist Carrie Rhodes of OrthoCarolina to learn more about the best ways to protect your knees as you get into running.

“Running is such a great form of exercise — it helps provide cardiovascular fitness and is great for stress relief (I am a little partial to this aspect, especially with COVID and how all of our lives have changed in the last year!),” Rhodes began. “But it can be daunting to start running, especially when people are not sure how to start and want to make sure they don’t get injured.”

If you’re feeling daunted, here’s what Rhodes’s recommends for beginners.

Start With Splits

“If someone is first starting out running I would have them follow a walk/run model to help decrease risk of injury,” Rhodes said.

She suggests starting with a 3:1 walk to run ratio (walk for a minute and a half, then run for 30 seconds).

From there, you can gradually build to 50:50 (walk for a minute, run for a minute) and then 1:3 (walk for 30 seconds, run for a minute and a half) until you’re able to gradually run the entire time without walking and without any pain.

“Try not to increase your weekly mileage by more than 10-15 percent per week,” she cautioned.

Always Warm Up First

News flash: Adequate warm-ups and stretching are very important for protecting your knees!

“Many knee overuse injuries are the result of inadequate flexibility and strength,” Rhodes explained. “Dynamic warm-ups (high knees, butt kicks, carioca drills, etc.) are a great way to increase blood flow to the muscles, as well as engaging the fast and slow-twitch fibers in the muscle to prepare them for activity.”

She added that a balance of dynamic warm-up and static stretches for your quads, hips, and calves is a great way to help prevent injury.

Keep Your Strides Short

Did you know that running impact forces are three times greater on the body than walking?

That’s why it’s so important that when you are running, you don’t over-stride (take steps that are too large/long) — because this increases the amount of force going through your joints, and particularly your knees!

“One way to help make sure you are not taking too large of strides is to focus on cadence. Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute,” Rhodes said.

She told us that a great rule of thumb and goal to aim for is 180 steps per minute. A higher cadence has been shown to decrease the risk of injury.

“There are great phone apps that allow you to sync music with timed cadence to help you keep your step speed while on the run without having to use a metronome,” she added.

Switch Up Your Surfaces

One of Rhodes’s top tips? Mix up the surface you run on!

“This helps take the constant stress of your knees,” she said. “Concrete tends to be the hardest surface and the most impact/force on your joints. Aim for running on a track, on a dirt road or trail, or even an asphalt greenway to try to vary the surface you are running on.”

Complement Your Cardio

As you build out your running regimen, be sure that running isn’t the only thing you’re doing to move your body.

“Incorporate a good strengthening and stretching program into your regular exercise routine,” Rhodes said. “Core and hip strength are crucial in decreasing injuries, especially in your knees! Cross-training is also important for protecting your knees-mix up the cardio at times with non-impact cardio like swimming, cycling, and elliptical.”

Learn More About Making Healthy Choices From the Experts at OrthoCarolina

Whether you’ve recently experienced an injury, need help with recovery after tough workouts, or are simply experiencing chronic pain and need help managing it, OrthoCarolina can help. Make an appointment at a location near you to start getting the treatment you need.