Myth Buster: Jogging may not be bad for joints

My wife and I have been trying to get into better shape, and one of the things I like to do for aerobics is run. Well, I don't actually run, I job. Oh-okay, I don't really jog, I wog. I'm a wogger, all right. I don't have the ability to do all out sprints if you know what I mean.

So, anyway, I've been "wogging" with a friend. He's a lot more athletic than myself, and as we're working our way around the track around the football field he usually laps me once or twice. Sometimes he makes fun of me and walks fast alongside me as I wog, "Why don't you just walk," he says.

"Because I'd rather make myself miserable." Actually, I think it's a great feeling being able to run (or wog), especially when I finish. And if it means that when I turn 40 next winter and I can still run and play catch with my son, then it's worth it.

The friend who's been jogging with me has decided that he no longer wants to run on the track because he believes that running is bad for his joints. So now when I run I have to go by myself.

That in mind, I recently found a report over at womenshealthmag.com that where a study was done that "postulates" that running is not bad for your joints at all. The report notes:

Dedicated road ­runners, listen up: You've probably had to defend your sport a thousand times against this persistent myth, so take note: Running will not wreck your hips and blow out your knees.

According to a research ­review in the Journal of Anatomy, running does not increase your risk of osteoarthritis, the ­decay of cartilage that causes joint pain and inflammation.

In fact, many researchers even propose that the strong muscles you develop putting in all those miles could actually help guard against osteoarthritis.

Exercise will definitely help you avoid one ­important risk factor for the disease in women: obesity.

Of course one report is nothing to get overly excited about, but it makes sense to me. However, now we need to learn if what we are running on effects our joints, because my friend continues to run, only not on the track with me because he believes it's better to run on dirt trails as opposed to the crushed tire surface of the track.