Running in Water

Question
Hi Greg,

You may not be able to answer this, but here goes:

I used to run/jog regularly (6 miles a night) either in the neighborhood or on a treadmill. Due to alot of nonsense I stopped and gained 15 lbs over the last 4 years.

Now, I can only run a short time before I have pain in my right knee and since I am uninsured, broke and have a general aversion to doctors, seeking medical advice is not an option.

I am not really worried about my knee anyway. I am sure it'll be fine. I am more concerned with the weight! So here's my question:

I can jog in place in my pool for an hour and have no knee pain, however, will that be anywhere near as effective as regular jogging?

PS: my pool is a wierd shape so it would be difficult to swim laps just in case you are wondering why I don't just do that.

A million thanks,
Dina

Answer
Hi Dina,

I assume you have an aqua jogging belt of some kind? Many runners will rehab in the pool, however once they feel ready, they get back on the road simply because it is not the same and road running. Having said that, you will still be burning calories, so it's a decent alternative until your knee is better. If you have access to an elliptical machine or bicycle, these can also be good alternatives.

Although you say you aren't concerned, I still think you should focus on that knee and make sure it'll be ok in the long term. Check out this answer from the other expert in this group, as he is a knee pro and has already answered a lot of questions about knee injuries - http://experts.about.com/q/Jogging-Running-1648/Runner-Knee-2.htm

Good luck,
Greg