RUNNER’S KNEE

What it feels like: Throbbing or pain in the front of your kneecap. Why it happens: Every time your shoe strikes the ground, your knee feels it. Eventually the kneecap may start to rub against your thigh bone, causing cartilage damage and tendinitis. Walkers with a misaligned kneecap, prior injury, weak or imbalanced thigh muscles, soft knee cartilage or flat feet or those who walk too much are at greater risk of runner’s knee. The pain usually appears when walking downhill, while doing knee bends or during prolonged sitting. Thefix: Shift to another type of exercise for eight to twelve weeks or until the pain subsides. Do quad strengtheners to help align the kneecap and beef up support around the knee: sit with your back against a wall, right leg bent with foot flat on the floor and left leg straight. Contract your quads and lift your left leg, keeping your foot flexed. Repeat 12 times; work up to three sets per leg.