Running on Soft Surfaces Does Not Prevent Injury Compared to Running on Sidewalk
Running on soft surfaces (like grass or mud) is suggested to be better for your joints than running on sidewalk. It is quite obvious that harder surfaces will be harder on your body and therefore this wisdom has been passed down to many runners. It’s a pity that it’s not true.
Dozens of studies have examined the effect of different surfaces on injury rates, and have failed to validate the often repeated wisdom. (Some, likethis one at Foot and Ankle International , even found fewer specific injuries with hard surfaces.) How is this possible? Even as your foot hits the ground harder, your foot and leg muscles adjust your stride accordingly, as shown by kinematic studies like this one published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise . Peter Vigneron of Outside sums it up:
[B] y By slightly changing the way we land, our bodies are pretty good at keeping the force of the impact constant, no matter what we’re running on. In layman’s terms, this means most people subconsciously land a little softer when running on hard asphalt and a little harder when running on soft pine needle trails.
Trail running probably does prevent injury, but for a different reason: you use more muscles in different positions when moving on uneven surfaces. This increases strength and mobility. Read more at the link below, where Vigneron debunks a few more of your cherished running myths.
5 myths debunked | outside
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