If you’ve already started running, family and friends have probably warned you: Running is bad for your knees. Though studies have proven that this is a myth, it’s easy to see why so many people believe it’s true. So many people get hurt when they first start running—and not just in their knees. Common complaints include sore feet, blisters, chafing, side stitches, stiffness, muscle soreness, shin splints, and niggling pains that seem to defy description.
And that’s to say nothing of the countless Oof!s Ah!s D’oh!s and other calamities that go along with braving the elements—traffic, humidity that makes you feel like you’re standing inside a hair dryer, or those treadmills at the gym that force you to face the embarrassing prospect of running in front of other people.
But we’ve got good news.
Many of these injuries and calamities are as easy to prevent and avoid as they are to succumb to. Regardless of your age, weight, level of fitness, and innate athletic predisposition—or lack there of—many of these issues can be sidestepped with a change of shoes and a healthy dose of patience.
“When you’re just starting out, the toughest thing to do is to take a step back,” says physical therapist and elite marathoner Clint Verran, “But just start over and don’t give up.”
In this section, you’ll find all the tools you need to stay safe, healthy, and injury free. And you’ll find the insights you need to figure out what to do when you do get hurt and how to come back feeling strong.