The up and down motion of jogging causes tendon, muscle, and joint injuries. In one survey, about 1800 inju¬ries occurred in 1650 amateur runners. Injuries included: (1) Achilles’ tendonitis where the heel and the tendon become painful; (2) shin splints where the muscles at the front of the leg (frontal compartment syndrome) become painful and swollen; (3) painful knees with inflammation of the fluid-filled sac (bursitis), strain on ligaments, or painful knee caps (chondromalacia patellae); (4) painful feet with inflammation of the sole of the foot, plantar fasciitis, and trauma to the bones of the foot; and (5) exacerbation of arthritis of the hips, knees, and ankles. Patients with arthritis must not jog. Women are more susceptible to knee injuries or stress fractures in the pelvis, and in some, osteoporosis (loss of bone) may develop.
If you must jog, purchase good running shoes, exercise the ankle joint, and warm up properly to prevent injuries. Despite such precautions, injuries are very common among joggers.