How I Fixed My Running Knee Pain

When you think about running, resistance training may not immediately come to mind. After all, running is all about endurance, speed, and stamina, right? But if you’re serious about improving your running performance, preventing injury, and enhancing your overall fitness, resistance training is a game-changer.

When I first began my running journey, my runs would often end with knee pain. I tried knee braces and ice treatments but I knew these were temporary solutions at best. Full relief did not arrive until I incorporated resistance training in my weekly exercise.

Me after a run in 2023 (smiling to hide the pain)

Here’s why adding strength training to your running routine should be a top priority.

1. Injury Prevention

Running, especially over long distances or on hard surfaces, places a lot of stress on your muscles, joints, and bones. Without a strong foundation, this repeated impact can lead to overuse injuries, such as runner's knee, shin splints, and IT band syndrome.

Resistance training helps strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support your joints. Stronger muscles can absorb more impact and reduce the stress placed on your knees, hips, and lower back. By incorporating resistance exercises that target key running muscles (like your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves), you build a solid foundation that can withstand the repetitive motion of running.

2. Improved Running Economy

Running economy refers to the amount of energy you expend while running at a given pace. Runners with better running economy tend to use less energy to run the same distance or speed, which is a key factor in improving race times.

Resistance training helps improve your running economy by increasing muscle strength and power. Stronger muscles can help you run more efficiently by producing greater force with less effort. Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts can enhance your ability to generate force with each stride, allowing you to run faster with less energy.

3. Enhanced Speed and Power

Speed isn’t just about cardiovascular conditioning; it’s also about how much force your muscles can produce when pushing off the ground. Resistance training can make your muscles stronger and more explosive, which directly translates to improved speed.

Powerful movements like box jumps, kettlebell swings, and plyometrics target fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are responsible for quick bursts of speed. The more powerful your muscles are, the faster you can move. This is especially beneficial for sprinters or those training for races with higher intensity, like 5Ks or 10Ks.

4. Better Posture and Form (yes, please!)

Many runners (myself included) struggle with poor posture and form, especially when they get fatigued toward the end of a long run or race. Weak core muscles can lead to slumping or rounding of the back, which not only reduces efficiency but also increases the risk of injury.

Resistance training, particularly exercises targeting the core, back, and shoulders, helps to maintain proper running posture. A strong core keeps your torso upright and stable, reducing the risk of unnecessary movement that can throw off your form. This means you’ll be able to maintain a more efficient stride and minimize fatigue during long runs.

5. Muscle Balance

Runners often develop muscle imbalances from the repetitive motion of running. For example, the quadriceps tend to become stronger than the hamstrings, or the hip flexors may become tight and overactive. These imbalances can lead to inefficient movement patterns and increase the risk of injury.

Incorporating resistance training into your routine helps address these imbalances by strengthening weaker muscle groups. For example, exercises like Romanian deadlifts or hip thrusts strengthen the glutes and hamstrings, helping to counteract the dominant quadriceps. Similarly, lateral lunges and resistance band exercises help strengthen the hip abductors, which can improve lateral stability and prevent overuse injuries.

6. Increased Bone Density

Running is a weight-bearing activity, which is great for bone health, but it’s not the only form of exercise that can help build bone density. Resistance training, particularly with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses, has been shown to stimulate bone growth and improve bone mineral density.

For runners, this is especially important as it helps reduce the risk of stress fractures or bone-related injuries, particularly for long-distance runners who log a lot of miles.

7. Mental Toughness

Running, especially during races or challenging workouts, requires mental resilience. Resistance training can help develop mental toughness by pushing your body to handle different types of stress and discomfort. Lifting weights challenges you to step outside your comfort zone, teaching you how to overcome physical and mental barriers.

When you consistently show up for strength workouts, you’ll build a mindset that can translate into your running performance. You’ll be able to push through those tough moments when your legs start to feel heavy or you’re struggling to maintain your pace.

How to Incorporate Resistance Training into Your Running Routine

The good news is that you don’t need to turn into a bodybuilder to reap the benefits of resistance training. Here’s how you can start adding strength training to your routine:

1. Start with two sessions per week: For most runners, two resistance training sessions per week are enough to see improvements in strength and performance. Focus on compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups.

2. Focus on lower-body strength: While full-body workouts are ideal, make sure to include exercises that strengthen the muscles used most in running, like the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Squats (staggered and normal) and toe/heel raises were helpful for me. I’m also lucky to live in a building with a squat machine.

3. Incorporate core work: A strong core is essential for maintaining posture and running efficiency. Include exercises like planks, Russian twists, and dead bugs to build core stability.

4. Don’t skip mobility work: Strength training is about more than just lifting heavy weights. Incorporating mobility exercises, such as lunges, hip openers, and foam rolling, will help improve flexibility and prevent stiffness.

5. Progress gradually: Start with light weights or bodyweight exercises, and gradually increase the intensity as you become stronger. Listen to your body, and avoid overloading yourself too quickly. This was really helpful for me. I started with just body weight for the first couple weeks just to feel good about my form.

   
   

Conclusion

Resistance training may not replace your regular running workouts, but it complements them in ways that can enhance your performance and keep you injury-free. By incorporating strength training into your routine, you can build a stronger, faster, and more resilient body, which translates into more efficient, injury-free running.

So, next time you lace up your running shoes, remember: Strength isn’t just about lifting weights. It’s about building the kind of power and resilience that will help you go the distance—whether that’s in a 5K, a marathon, or simply your next training session.

Are you ready to hit the weights? Your legs—and your race times—will thank you!