This morning I started jogging again after a two weeks hiatus from my ankle injury, which occurred from running in the grass as I like to do. But what I want to bring to your attention if you run or walk in your neighborhood is that the slope of the road can put stress on your ankles, knees and hips. This morning I saw a neighbor running in the street, close to the curb, against traffic, which is recommended for your safety.
If you don’t know or haven’t paid attention, but most roads are sloped. The highest point is in the center of the street and it slopes downward to the curb. I am sure this is for drainage, but the point is if you constantly run against traffic, on the left-hand side of the road…you are running along a slope. Meaning your left foot hits the ground on the outside of your foot and rolls inward, but because you are running on a slope your left foot doesn’t roll flat. It rolls a few degrees short of horizontal.
On the other hand, or should I say foot, your right foot hits the ground, on the outside edge and rolls inwards…but here your right foot rolls a few degrees past horizontal.
In essence your left foot is not going through its full range of motion. Yet your right foot is extending past its normal range of motion.
What’s happening is that your feet are not in balance, they don’t have the same range of motion, which could trickle upward and be the reason behind your knee, hip or low back pain. It’s easy to understand how our tires can get out of balance and the problems it causes, so I think it is important to recognize a possible source of your potential knee, hip or back pain.
What to do…
I know when I walk or run in the neighborhood, I usually like to run in the middle of the road. FYI…I like to run before the sun gets up…so the roads aren’t that crowded. But I also like to start my run on one side of the road, and finish up on the other side. I do this to allow my feet to get equal ‘flexion’ or ‘range of motion’ when my foot strikes the ground. I think if you always walk/run on the same side of the road or curb you could be setting yourself up for potential problems.
Be careful, I don’t want anyone to get hit by a car either, just keep in mind that if you always run or walk along the same slope from the same direction…one foot will develop a greater range of motion than the other.
If you walk or run on the grass you are typically not going to need to worry about this, but be aware that many people like to run along the sidewalk which may put you at a slope. Just be careful and try to stay as balanced as possible. Most importantly, keep up the running or jogging. I think aerobic training is very helpful.