How I Went From Knee Pain To Running A Full Marathon After 40: Joint Health & Longevity

This is a true story. All events are real. And the protagonist is our very own health coach, Mr Sandeep Mathew. His(s)tory is his own words.......   

Knees need some TLC after 40 due to the natural aging process. Cartilage begins to thin, joints wear out, and the knees hurt for activities that seemed simple before 40.

I love running. It’s more therapy than fitness. I started as a teenager, incentivized by being bullied as the fat guy in school. To this day, my school friends call me Duma, which translates to fatso. It’s of course, more out of love and nostalgia now.

By the age of 30, my knees wore out. I couldn’t cross 5km without a searing pain in the knee, and I had run numerous half marathons before that. I loved running too much and had to do something about it… and I did… and by the age of 40, I completed a full marathon. 

These were some things I did:  

1. Strength training: I focussed on strengthening the muscles around the knees, with exercises like squats. Squats are the mother of all workouts. Even if it's not for the knees, and just the one exercise you have time for in the gym, it should be squats for the reasons mentioned here. 

2. Keep up the cardio: Don’t give up on running altogether. Reduce the intensity to as much as the knees can bear, or temporarily replace it with swimming, cycling, or walking until the knees build back their form.  

3. Wear proper footwear: Visiting an ASICS store and identifying the right pair of shoes for my feet and running form was a game changer. The ASICS Glide RideI got is so far from my style and something I may have never purchased if not for the intervention of the ASICS Gait Analysis at the store. This pair provided the right arch support and cushioning for my feet and was critical to completing that full marathon.  

4. Use protection: In activities where you experience knee pain, consider using a knee brace or KT tapes. Using a combination of these added a few extra kilometers to my runs before the knees went bust.  

5. Avoid high-impact activities: One activity that hurt my knee a lot was driving in Mumbai traffic with a manual-shift car. Moving out of Mumbai and taking a break from driving for 3 years gave my knees a big relief. Try to Minimize any such activities that may cause excessive wear on the knees. These even include running on hard surfaces.  

6. Physical therapy: A happenstance sports masseur on a holiday to Cyprus worked wonders on my knee. He brought down the pain substantially on my runs. Consider a physical therapist of some sort who can design a personalized plan to strengthen your knees and improve joint function.  

7. Pay attention to pain: The moment my knees hurt, I would stop running. Personally, I have a low threshold for pain, but practically too, aggravating the knee further when it’s already taken a beating is a recipe for permanent damage.  

8. Maintain a healthy weight: Every pound of extra weight adds roughly four pounds of pressure on your knees. Appropriate nutrition mentioned next will help. 

9. Joint-Friendly Nutrition: There are certain foods that improve joint health. Include these in your diet or use supplements in case of dietary restrictions: 

1. Calcium and Vitamin D to support bone health.
2. Collagenand Vitamin C for cartilage health.  
3. Probiotics for weight management
4. Omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation. 

10. Hydration: Last but not least, no good plan can go without adequate hydration. In this case, it is required to maintain the elasticity of the cartilage and joint lubrication. 

In summary, knees are important. One of the biggest sources of premature death in old age is falls, and weak knees only facilitate this. Some TLC from the age of 40 can be crucial to prolong the life of a good knee.