Why Running Isn’t Bad For Your Knees, How To Exercise Without Pain & Move Faster (Without Even Trying!) with Helen Hall #434
Helen Hall, a movement therapist and pain expert, returns to discuss head and foot position, debunking the myth that running is bad for knees. She shares walk-run strategies, the importance of barefoot time, and foot wiping for improved movement and reduced pain.
Deep Dive Analysis
12 Topic Outline
Debunking the Myth: Running is Not Bad for Knees
The Critical Role of Head Position in Overall Movement
Understanding the Mass Management Effect of Head Weight
Enhancing Movement Efficiency and the Benefits of Poles
Overcoming Ego: The Power of Run-Walk Strategies
The Science Behind Why Run-Walk Strategies Work
Practical Exercise for Head Awareness and Spinal Extension
Doris: Advanced 3D Gait Analysis Technology Explained
Why Some People Move Better Running Than Walking
The Importance of Foot Wiping and Addressing Hypersensitive Feet
The Case for Barefoot Living and Minimalist Footwear
Practical Steps for Addressing Chronic Movement Pain
6 Key Concepts
Mass Management Effect
This refers to the body's system for balancing the weight of the head. For every inch the head is held forward from an effortlessly perched position, the effective load on the body increases significantly, impacting overall posture and movement efficiency.
Vestibular System
These are inner ear mechanics that inform the brain about the body's position and orientation in space. It is crucial for maintaining balance and preventing falls during movement.
Proprioception
This is the body's awareness of its own position and movement in space. It relies on sensory input from muscles, tendons, and joint capsules to facilitate coordinated and non-injurious movement.
Spinal Extension
This describes an upright, non-slouched spinal posture that offers maximum movement potential and range of motion. A forward head posture can flex the spine, limiting this range and increasing the effort required for movement.
Contralateral Movement
This is the natural human movement pattern where opposite arm and leg move in coordination (e.g., left arm forward with right leg forward), involving a twisting rotation through the torso. It is essential for efficient walking and running.
Receptive Fields (in feet)
These are hypersensitive areas in the soles of the feet that, when triggered, can cause reflexive reactions like toe pinging or foot rigidity. Ideally, these sensitivities should be 'used up' during development to allow for clear sensory input and functional foot movement.
7 Questions Answered
No, running itself is not inherently bad for your knees. If you experience knee pain, it's more likely due to how you are running or underlying movement patterns, not the act of running itself.
The average adult head weighs about five kilos, and for every inch it's held forward, the effective load on the body increases significantly. This forward head posture can flex the spine, limit movement range, and contribute to pain in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and knees.
Run-walk strategies allow the body to recover and even heal muscles while moving, preventing fatigue and reducing the risk of injury. It also promotes variety in gait patterns, which is less taxing on the brain and body than continuous running.
Lie on your back with your head comfortably supported. Place a hand on the crown of your head and gently wiggle your scalp to provide sensory input. Then, with something slippery under your head, gently nod and rotate your head to feel its movement and connection to the neck spine.
Hypersensitive (or 'ticklish') feet indicate that the receptive fields in the soles are overactive, preventing clear sensory information from reaching the brain. This can lead to the foot avoiding ground contact, becoming rigid, or developing suboptimal movement patterns, potentially contributing to pain elsewhere in the body.
Foot wiping is a vigorous scrubbing of the soles of the feet against a textured surface (like a doormat) for a few minutes daily. This practice helps to 'use up' the hypersensitivity in the foot's receptive fields, allowing for more balanced pressures, better weight shift, and improved overall movement efficiency without conscious effort.
The episode suggests that cushioned shoes lack a strong evolutionary or physiological case. Minimalist shoes, or spending time barefoot, allow the feet to receive more sensory input from the ground and engage the foot's natural musculature, potentially improving foot strength and overall movement patterns.
13 Actionable Insights
1. Question Limiting Beliefs
Identify and challenge invisible belief systems that keep you stuck in movement or other areas of life, such as the idea that ‘it only counts if I run the entire way.’ Unpicking these beliefs can open up new opportunities for movement, reduce injury, and improve overall well-being.
2. Address Head Position for Pain
If experiencing neck, shoulder, back, hip, knee, or foot pain, investigate your head posture as a primary root cause. A forward head can add significant load (up to 18 kilos) to your body and flex your spine, limiting movement potential.
3. Practice Head Position Awareness
To improve head awareness, lie on your back with a slippery surface under your head, place a hand on your crown, and gently nod and rotate your head within comfortable ranges. This provides sensory input to your brain, helping it understand your head’s position and encouraging spinal extension without creating a double chin.
4. Practice Foot Wiping Daily
Vigorously scrub every millimeter of your foot soles, including the arches and under the toes, for a few minutes daily (e.g., while brushing teeth) to ‘use up’ hypersensitive or hyposensitive receptive fields. This clarifies sensory information to the brain, improving foot function, balance, stride length, and overall movement efficiency.
5. Increase Barefoot Time & Minimalist Footwear
Prioritize spending time barefoot and wearing minimalist shoes (without cushioning or heel elevation) to allow your feet to move naturally and provide essential sensory feedback to the brain. This can improve foot strength and reduce downstream problems like back or hip pain; transition gradually to allow foot muscles to adapt, and ensure socks don’t restrict movement.
6. Utilize Peripheral Vision
When moving, cultivate a ‘soft gaze’ or peripheral vision by seeing ahead and observing houses on either side of the street, rather than focusing intently on one spot or looking down. This informs spinal activity, extends the spine, and relaxes the autonomic nervous system, leading to more functional upright posture and improved movement.
7. Adopt Run-Walk Strategies
Implement run-walk strategies from the start of any endurance activity, rather than waiting until you’re tired, to prevent fatigue, reduce injury risk, and aid muscle recovery during movement. This approach allows for continuous progress and can lead to faster times and a more enjoyable experience by recovering as you go.
8. Maintain Good Posture When Tired
Consciously maintain good posture even when fatigued during physical activity, as allowing your body to slump makes movement harder and less efficient. Use mental effort to find a ‘wibbly-wobbly’ head position and press hands on the upper chest to encourage spinal extension, allowing for freer movement with less effort.
9. Encourage Barefoot Play for Babies
Allow babies ample time out of baby grows (consider chopping off feet or using socks) to explore their feet with their hands and mouth. This natural exploration provides crucial sensory input, triggering reflexive movements essential for developing strong, functional feet and fundamental movement patterns.
10. Seek Movement Feedback from Partners
Ask your partner or close friends to observe your posture and movement patterns, as they often notice things you don’t see yourself. This external perspective can provide valuable insights into habits that might be contributing to pain or inefficiency.
11. Use Poles for Movement
Incorporate walking or running poles from the beginning of your activity to offload up to 75% of body weight from your knees and engage your upper body dynamically. This makes movement a whole-body activity, improves circulation, and can lead to happier knees and better outcomes, especially for those with existing conditions.
12. Vary Movement Patterns
Introduce variety into your movement patterns by switching up gears (e.g., alternating between walking and trotting) to avoid repetitive strain and keep your brain engaged. This makes movement easier on both the body and the brain, preventing fatigue and improving overall efficiency.
13. Don’t Stop Running Due to Knee Pain
If you experience knee pain while running, do not immediately stop running, but instead investigate the root cause of the knee’s discomfort. The knee is often taking the brunt of issues originating elsewhere in the body, such as the head, hips, or feet.
8 Key Quotes
Running per se cannot be bad for your knees. We're not so badly made that we should be injuring ourselves every time we move.
Helen Hall
For every inch further forward that your head would be if it was perched effortlessly with maximum movement potential, you add the weight of another head.
Helen Hall
It's the biggest joint in the body. People think that the hip is the biggest joint in the body. The knee is enormous.
Helen Hall
If your head's not on right, nothing good's going to happen.
Dr. Rangan Chatterjee
You are recovering and healing whilst you are walking.
Helen Hall
Nobody cares how you got there. You got there. That's where the applause is.
Helen Hall
We are movement animals. To not move shuts us down on every level.
Helen Hall
The superpower is above your nose.
Helen Hall
3 Protocols
Head Awareness Exercise
Helen Hall- Lie on your back, using cushions if needed for comfort so your brain can pay attention.
- Feel your head touching the surface.
- Touch the crown of your head (the squirly-whirly bit where the top meets the back) and gently wiggle the scalp to provide sensory input.
- Place something slippery (like a document wallet or piece of paper) between your head and the surface to avoid traction.
- Gently nod your head (tipping back and forth) within comfortable ranges.
- Gently rotate your head from side to side, noticing how close your ear is to the floor on each side.
Foot Wiping for Hypersensitive Feet
Helen Hall- Find a textured surface, such as a doormat.
- Vigorously scrub every millimeter of the sole of your foot against the surface, imagining you are trying to remove something sticky like treacle.
- Ensure you scrub into the inside arch and the area where the toes meet the foot.
- Continue for about two minutes per foot, ideally twice a day (e.g., while brushing teeth).
- Ensure the toes are not lifted out of the way; the entire sole should engage with the scrubbing.
General Movement Pain Strategy
Helen Hall- Check Head Position: Lie on the floor to assess if your head is comfortable and aligned. Progress to checking against a wall (head above rib cage, above pelvis). Gently rub the scalp for brain awareness.
- Engage Inner Meerkat: Practice trunk extension by pushing down with the heels of your hands and feet (if standing) to encourage spinal extension.
- Check Feet: Assess if your feet are hypersensitive ('ticklish') or hyposensitive (unresponsive). If so, engage in foot wiping to improve responsiveness.
- Utilize Visual Field: When walking, use peripheral vision (seeing ahead and the sides, not focusing on one point) to relax the autonomic nervous system and encourage spinal extension. If wearing glasses, use contact lenses or frames that don't obstruct peripheral view.
- Gradual Implementation: Introduce changes like less cushioned footwear or increased barefoot time gradually to allow the body to adapt.