Buzz
It's commonly thought that running on soft surfaces, such as grass or dirt, is easier on your joints than running on hard pavement. The logic suggests that harder surfaces would create more strain on your body, and this belief has been passed on to many runners. However, this isn't entirely true.
Numerous studies have examined how different surfaces impact injury rates, and they fail to support this widely held belief. Some studies, like this one in Foot and Ankle International, have even found fewer injuries on hard surfaces. How is this possible? Despite the harder impact on concrete, your foot and leg muscles adapt your stride to accommodate it, as shown in kinematic studies like this one published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. As Peter Vigneron at Outside explains:
[B]y subtly altering our landing, our bodies manage to keep impact forces relatively constant, regardless of the surface we run on. In simpler terms, this means that most runners instinctively adjust to land a bit softer on hard pavement and a bit harder on softer, pine-needle-covered trails.
Trail running might indeed reduce injury, but for a different reason: it engages more muscles and places them in varied positions as you navigate uneven terrain. This helps build strength and mobility. For more details, check out the link below where Vigneron dispels other running myths.
Photo credit: Michael Pardo.
