Don’t Fear Running Will Cause Arthritis Many runners are concerned that their exercise routine and other competitions that they partake in as part of their love of running are starting to deteriorate the health of their knees. Whilst many may worry that the wear and tear of running will ultimately ruin your knees or create a higher risk of osteoarthritis, research actually suggests that runners are reducing their risk of bad knees and osteoarthritis by running on a regular basis. According to Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) Rheumatologist Alicia Zbehlik, MD, MPH, ‘A runner tends to be leaner on average and the lower BMI puts less strain on the knee. Weight is the number one modifiable risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. The higher the weight, the higher the risk,’ says Zbehlik. Running Won’t …