Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Why Running Isn’t Bad For Your Knees, How To Exercise Without Pain & Move Faster (Without Even Trying!) with Helen Hall (re-release) #542

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Mar 30, 2025

Helen Hall, a renowned movement therapist and running coach, challenges common beliefs about running and knee pain, revealing how underlying issues often stem from walking mechanics. She emphasizes proper posture and head positioning to enhance mobility and prevent injury. Discussing the run-walk strategy, she inspires listeners with stories of overcoming injuries while preparing for marathons. Hall advocates for body awareness and minimalist footwear, highlighting their crucial roles in achieving pain-free movement and overall well-being.

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INSIGHT

Running and Knee Pain

Running isn't inherently bad for your knees; knee pain during running often stems from other issues.
Many people run without knee pain, including older adults in hunter-gatherer tribes.

INSIGHT

Knee Pain Origins

Knee pain can originate from issues above or below the knee joint, such as head position or foot mechanics.
The location of the symptom isn't always the source of the problem.

INSIGHT

Head Position and Movement

Forward head posture adds extra weight and strain to the body, affecting movement efficiency.
For every inch your head is forward, the effective weight increases, impacting the entire body.

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Today I’m thrilled to welcome my dear friend, Helen Hall back to the podcast. Helen is a movement therapist, a running coach, a pain expert and one of the best coaches in any modality that I have ever come across. She has had a lifelong passion for analysing posture and movement, and her clients include elite athletes, whether they be runners, cyclists or premier league footballers, but also everyday folk who simply want to walk or run pain-free.

She combines objective clarity from the most advanced motion analysis technology in the world, with 46 years of visual experience and study in the field, to seek out the root causes of chronic pain and injury, that often seem resistant to standard treatment protocols.

In order to help more people than those able to visit her in person, Helen first shared her movement philosophy in her wonderful book ‘Even With Your Shoes On’. Since then, Helen has

created a series of online courses for professionals as well as members of the public who want to move better without pain. Her flagship online course is ‘A Troubleshooting Checklist for Walkers and Runners’ and she has a brand new course ‘Stress Incontinence: An Alternative Approach’. Helen is offering 40% off for Feel Better, Live More listeners until the end of April 2025 – go to https://www.helen-hall.co.uk and use the code FBLM40.

Helen first came on my podcast on Episode 216 back in November 2021 and many of you got in touch to say how helpful the tools shared in that episode were.

In this conversation, we continue where we left off:

We talk again about the vital importance of our head position – and how to become aware of how you’re holding your own head, if you’re struggling to know.
We bust the myth that running is bad for your knees.
We discuss walk-run strategies and how they can help all of us reduce injury, recover more quickly and run faster.
We discuss why ‘foot wiping’ - a very simple practice that I do on most days - could help you move with more ease.
We talk about the importance of spending time barefoot.
We discuss minimalist shoes and why we are both big fans.

Since I began working with Helen she’s become a cherished friend, whose wisdom and insights cover much more than walking and running. Her message for this brilliant episode is straightforward and optimistic: think about your head, think about your feet – and don’t assume

that you can no longer move without pain. She is an inspiring lady, this is an inspiring conversation, I hope you enjoy listening.

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Thanks to our sponsors:

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/542

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.