Yes, it does seem logical that softer running surfaces would be easier on the body, as veteran runner and NYT writer Gina Kolata points out. But no, even Kolata could find no reliable studies that demonstrate the benefit of running on grass or dirt rather than pavement. What she does find is several studies that test various degrees of cushioning in running shoes, and those studies show that no matter what the cushioning, the body automatically adjusts to different surfaces to keep forces constant when foot strikes the road. Kolata also finds Stuart J. Warden, director of the Indiana Center for Translational Musculoskeletal Research at Indiana University, who explains that when we run on a hard surface, our knees and hips flex more, while on a soft surface, our legs stiffen, and that running on different surfaces are basically different types of exercise. So what’s a runner to do? One expert suggests buying a comfortable pair of running shoes and running wherever you prefer to run.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Saturday, May 31, 2025
I had for years ran on a track with the rubber artificial surface. After the local community college closed the track to the public and I started running on the sidewalk around the college is when I started developing pains in my knees and my leg muscles started to get little knots in them. I have to say that the surface made a difference for me.