Running
Cadence is the cheapest fix for knee pain
Raising your step rate by five percent cuts load at the knee more than most shoe changes, and it costs nothing.
Idris Bello
4 min
The mechanism
Shorter steps mean the foot lands closer to the body. The braking force drops, and so does the load going through the patellofemoral joint.
How to change it
Count your steps for thirty seconds, double it, then add five percent. A metronome app for two runs a week is enough for most people to hold the new rhythm.
What not to expect
It is not a cure on its own. It buys you room while the strength work does the rest.