I had an operation on my front knee ligament. My question is this: Will jogging for long distances have a bad effect on my knee?

Thank you.

--nasser

Nasser, when you say "front knee ligament," I'm assuming you mean your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). I wish I knew why you needed an operation in the first place. I also assume that you've already done some rehabilitation, since you're contemplating distance running.

We usually don't associate running with ACL injuries. Skiers, football and basketball players and other athletes in sports where there are quick changes in direction that create extreme twisting forces on the knee seem to have more ACL injuries. Runners are more susceptible to overuse injuries, such as chondromalacia, shin splints, stress fractures, and the gradual grinding away of the cartilage that cushions the knee due to the high impact of running.

If you keep both knees as strong as possible, there probably isn't anything wrong with doing some jogging, but check with your doctor to be sure. You should be doing leg extensions, leg curls, and leg presses or lunges to help keep your knees strong. Stretching out your quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups is important no matter what your activity.

I've run five marathons and logged thousand of miles running. In my young and foolish days, I ran about 60 miles a week for several years. The human body is not designed for running on pavement. I wouldn't recommend running as your sole form of aerobic activity. Add cycling, swimming, walking and other lower-impact activities to your program for balance and to save your knees.

Running is fun, easy to do, and it imparts a feeling of freedom that no other aerobic exercise does. If it's cool with your doctor, go for it.

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