HEALTH REASONS WHY RUNNING MAY NOT BE FOR YOU
1. Your core might not be strong enough for it
According to Dr. Khemani, running is one exercise that poses a bigger demand on the central stability muscles and structures.
She explains:
Running requires a very strong central portion of our bodies namely, deep abdominals, pelvic floor, gluteal and hip muscles. These are the exact muscles which get weak in a woman—especially when she is in pre or a post-natal stage.
Hence, if you want to reap the benefits of running without letting it damage your spine, you can start by working on your core muscles first, strengthen them with a proper workout routine focusing on this area, and include running in your routine after that.
2. Your bones might not support it
“Women’s joint cartilages have been proven to degenerate faster than that of men. This means that running can cause an early onset of arthritis in the weight-bearing joints of women who run,” Dr. Khemani points out.
Ensuring adequate calcium and vitamin D intake when you undertake running as a form of exercise or even otherwise can help you a great deal. Starting slow and building your bone strength with the help of resistance training can help as well.
3. Pre-existing damage can be to blame for it
Dr Khemani explains that pre-existing issues such as pelvic floor weakness or urinary incontinence can cause running to backfire and vice-versa. The degree of damage depends on the structural damage to the pelvis and vaginal area during childbirth or after menopause.
4. The size of your pelvis has a role to play
Conventionally and biologically, most women have a bigger pelvic area and thus, wider hips and heavier thighs. This can add to the burden on their knees (patella-femoral issues), making the knees more prone to an injury/pain after running which subjects the knee to a lot of pressure.
