Is Running On A Treadmill Bad For Your Knees?

If you’re concerned about your physical safety, treadmill running is a good option. It allows you to work out, even when the weather condition isn’t ideal for outdoor exercise. However, some users claim to suffer from treadmill knee pain after using this machine. This leads us to the main question; is running on a treadmill bad for your knees?

Surprisingly, this is one of the most frequent questions about treadmill running. Yet, there is no one simple answer that can address this issue. Besides, treadmill running can have both benefits and drawbacks. Thankfully, this article will help you determine if treadmills are safe for your knees or not.

Let’s get started!

How Treadmill Running Affects Your Knees

Knees are made up of a complex network of joints. This allows them to bear weight, which makes them vulnerable to injury. Also, running, which is a high-impact exercise, exerts a ton of stress on the knees. This repetitive applies extra stain on them. So, heavy running can increase the risk of knee injuries over time.

Luckily, treadmill running is a lower-impact exercise than outdoor running. Besides, a treadmill provides higher stride rates and shorter stride lengths. According to a certain report, this may cause less impact and stress on your weight-bearing joints.

Moreover, moderate exercise like treadmill running provides various benefits for Osteoarthritis (OA). Better still, it doesn’t cause disease progression or worsen the symptoms. A certain report suggests that OA affects more than 200 million people across the globe. These people can reduce their knee pains by engaging in a low-impact workout.

Another study demonstrated that people who do light workouts have healthier knee cartilage. Therefore, a low-impact cardio exercise like treadmill running is good for arthritic knees.

First, it will strengthen the muscles surrounding the knees. This will reduce the wear & tear on your cartridge and lessen pressure on your knee joints. Also, it will promote weight loss, thus reducing the stress on the knees. Lastly, the workout will increase blood flow to your cartridge. This will keep them healthy by providing them with essential nutrients.

Regardless of these benefits, you need to be cautious when using a treadmill. Especially if you’ve symptoms of osteoarthritis. This is because problems may arise when you increase your workout intensity. For instance, increasing the speed of your treadmill will put more stress on the knees. This may lead to increased irritation and pain in your knee joints. 

Outdoor Vs. Treadmill Running 

A 2019 study analyzed whether outdoor running is comparable to treadmill running. It demonstrates muscle-tendon measures and muscular activities in both activities are the same. However, notable differences were observed as well. This included; their knee flexion motion range, vertical displacement, and foot strike.

Vertical displacement is the extent to which the body bounces up & down as you run. Treadmill running had lower vertical displacement than outdoor running. More importantly, treadmill running was found to have reduced propulsive force. This puts less stress on the knee joints since the running speed is almost stable. On top of that, treadmill running required lower braking forces. This produces lesser impacts on the knee joints as well.

Another factor that impacts your knees when running is surface stiffness. Treadmills are a little more comfortable for the knees than most outdoor surfaces. This includes; rubber running track, grassy field, concrete pathways, and dirt field.

The Best Treadmills - Our Top Picks

Hard surfaces like concrete cause higher wear & tear and impact on the knees. Running on a dirt/ grassy field, on the other hand, has less impact on the knees. However, if the surface isn’t well maintained or flat, you can easily sprain your ankle. Among these options, a rubber track is the most ideal option for outdoor running. This is because it’s relatively soft and offers an excellent grip.

A treadmill deck/ running surface is similar to a rubber track. It allows you to run without stressing the knees. To be precise, the upper side of its belt is crafted from superior PVC rubber. While the underside consists of polyester, cotton, and mono-filament. This construction provides excellent to the treadmill desk and to your shoes. More notably, cotton helps to minimize the amount of stress exerted on the knees as you run.

The bottom line, treadmill running workouts are safer for your knees than running on hard surfaces. Besides, this workout machine is well-engineered and specifically designed for running. In some instance, it can be useful for knee injury rehab and training. Thanks to the less stiff surface and lower vertical loading rates.

Common Treadmill Injuries 

Your knee can suffer from various injuries. The most common knee injury is the runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome). As this name suggests, this is a conditions resulting from poor running techniques.

Meniscus tears are another knee injury that is quite common. It occurs when the cartilage making up your lateral/ medial meniscus is torn. This results in an unanticipated twisting movement.

Damage to the Anterior Cruciate ligament is a fairly critical knee injury. It happens the ligament stretches because of being stretched too far. This may occur when you stop abruptly or change direction quickly. Injuries to the Posterior Cruciate ligament can happen this way as well.

Another knee injury associated with running, especially for long-distance runners is Patellar Tendonitis. Moreover, accidental fractures can injure the knee as well.

Some conditions like IT Band syndrome can cause knee pain as well. Yet the Iliotibial band isn’t linked to your knee in any way. IT Band syndrome occurs because of an inflamed or tight iliotibial band. To fix the knee pain caused by this condition, you need to improve your IT band’s flexibility.Overall, knee injuries can be grouped into 2 main categories. These are; chronic and acute injuries. Chronic injuries stem from muscular imbalances, bad techniques, and overuse. Acute injuries, on the other hand, usually occur by accident. This includes things like a bad tackle or tripping up.  

But, how do you avoid these injuries when running on a treadmill? Well, let’s find out!

How You Can Avoid Knee Pain While Running on a Treadmill

A treadmill is a great alternative to outdoor running. Nonetheless, if you use the treadmill incorrectly, you can cause injury or pain to your knee. This, however, doesn’t mean that treadmill running causes knee pain. But using it incorrectly may lead to various treadmill-related injuries.

Thankfully, there are various practices you can adopt to avoid those injuries. They include;

1. Observing a good posture

A good posture is important in ensuring proper muscle condition. In general, your body should have a natural position each time you run on the treadmill. More importantly, don’t stress or overextend the joints more than they need to be. Also, avoid the vertical running movement common in most treadmill exercisers. Instead, maintain a natural, forward-leading posture. This helps to minimize the risk of leg pain after running on the treadmill.

2. Wear proper running shoes

Always wear the appropriate shoes before you run on a treadmill. For instance, you should wear running shoes that fit properly. This will prevent the shoe from inflicting injuries to your feet.

Still, on shoes, I’d recommend you replace them after every 300 to 500 miles. That’s because running shoes are lighter, which makes them wear out quickly.

Also, note that regular tennis shoes aren’t ideal for heavy workout exercise. For this reason, they may not absorb the impact made on the treadmill surface effectively. On the contrary, running shoes are effective in absorbing shock. This means that your knee joints and muscles absorb less impact when you’re running.

3. Exercise in moderation

People who buy the best treadmill for bad knees are usually eager to get into stay fit or lose weight. Unfortunately, most people push and stress their body than they should. This may result in various issues like strained muscles or irritated knee injury.

To prevent this, I’d advise you start your workout program slowly. And increase your speed, duration, and distance over time. This will give your muscles enough time to adapt to the workouts. Note, treadmill-related injuries are usually exacerbated. They can also be caused by increasing the speed or incline too quickly.

Avoid running on your treadmill for long durations, particularly if you’ve got an injury. Instead, observe short running sessions, basically less than 30 minutes per session. This will reduce wear & tear on your knees and injury risk. HIIT is excellent for treadmill running. Note, HIIT refers to High-Intensity Interval Training. It’s less strenuous and more productive. Also, it allows the joints and muscles to relax and recover. If your body doesn’t feel right, stop the routine and rest.

4. Check the incline

Running on a treadmill at 0% incline isn’t favorable for your knees. At a 0% incline, the treadmill simulates downhill running. This adds more strain to your knees and patellar tendon, which can cause knee injuries. This also means that your muscles have to work harder to balance and control your movements. Simply put, too much strain around the knee muscles can cause overuse knee injuries.

To overcome this challenge, set the treadmill at an incline of about 1 to 2%. This will simulate outdoor conditions, making you feel like you’re running outside.

5. Warm-up & cool down

Cold muscles don’t have adequate blood flow and flexibility. For this reason, it’s essential to warm up before you put stress on them through workout exercise. A great warm-up exercise starts by walking slowly for less than 10 minutes. After that, perform various motion exercises and static stretches.

It’s good to cool down after completing your run on the treadmill. This prevents the muscles from tightening quickly because of stopping your workout suddenly. To cool down your muscles effectively, walk or run at a slower pace towards the end of your workout session. Lastly, stretch your lower back, legs, hips, and knees to ensure flexibility.

6. Minimize Impact

Try to minimize the impact and stress on your knees when running on a treadmill. For instance, your strides should be short and quick. On the same note, lift your feet while running. This will minimize the force transferred to the legs by the treadmill belt.

Rotating your pelvis with each idea is also a great idea. In other words, let your hip be pulled back with the hip. This allows the lower body to rotate along its vertical axis. Moreover, this rotation absorbs shock from each foot when it hits the treadmill belt.

Choosing the Best Treadmill for Bad Knees

Selecting the best treadmill can give your knee joints more comfort and cushion. The first thing you need to consider when looking for the best treadmill for bad knees is its belt’s thickness.

The thickness of a treadmill can determine the level of impact your knees experience. Also, it will determine if you can run on the machine comfortably or not. Besides, this part of the workout machine contacts your feet directly.

Belt thickness allows you to determine the amount of grip it provides. Also, it will allow you to determine the impact it will cause to the knee joints. In general, there are 3 types of treadmills, based on the thickness of their running belt. They include;

• Single-Ply. This type of treadmill belt has one piece of rubber.
• Two-Ply. The belt is made up of high-grade PVC rubber on the upper side. While its underside is crafted from mono-filament, cotton, and polyester. 
• Three-Ply. This treadmill features an extra layer of rubber, which offers cushioning.

Even with the additional cushioning layer, 3-ply treadmills aren't ideal for running. This is because the additional layer makes the belt harder too soft. For this reason, it’s harder to run and maintain the right posture. This may add an unnecessary impact on the knees.

That said, 2-Ply treadmill belts are the best option for running. Thanks to the superior PVC rubber used in their construction. This provides adequate grip when you’re running on a treadmill. Better still, the cotton used on the underside minimizes the stress on your knees. Moreover, it absorbs noise from the treadmill deck when your machine is operating. Thankfully, the best treadmill under 1000 is in this category.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How fast can one run on a treadmill? 

A treadmill belt moves at different speeds. For most exercisers. 2-4mph is a walking speed, while 4-5mph is a jog or fast walk. At any speed above 5mph, you will be running/ jogging. 

2. Outdoor running Vs. Treadmill running: which is better for your knees?

Treadmill running applies less stress on the knees than outdoor running. Also, the treadmill surface is softer, making your workout much safer. 

3. Is running regularly recommended for your knees?

Running regularly can benefit the knees in various ways. This includes strengthening the joints and eliminating knee pain. Also, running will protect you from the development of OA (osteoarthritis). 

4. What workout machines are good for bad knees?

Elliptical trainers and treadmills are effective and safe workout machines for bad knees. However, you must ensure you use these workout machines correctly. Otherwise, they can put severe stress on the knees and ankles.

Conclusion

So, is running on a treadmill bad for your knees. In one word: No! Instead, running on a treadmill can be an effective and safe workout option for your knees. This is because it involves a repetitive movement that is good for your knee joints. You need to be careful though as using the treadmill incorrectly can affect your knee health. To prevent this, make sure you observe the measures I’ve listed above when running on a treadmill.