According to a new scientific review from the Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, researchers discovered that moderate levels of recreational running may support healthy knee and hip joints, reports an article from Time Magazine.

The researchers conducted a meta-analysis that combined data from 17 previous studies about recreational running and its effects on hip or knee arthritis, otherwise known as osteoarthritis (a.k.a., degenerative joint disease, or “wear-and-tear” arthritis). With a total of 114,829 people studied, the researchers found that only 3.5 percent of recreational runners developed osteoarthritis during their period of study. In addition, the researchers found that those who were not recreational runners had a 10.2 percent chance of developing osteoarthritis. This means that people who ran moderately had a lower chance of developing osteoarthritis than people who did not run at all.

In addition, a 2016 study conducted by Matt Seeley, Ph.D, associate professor of exercise science at Brigham Young University, found that running for 30 minutes reduced inflammatory proteins around the knee joint. He states that “running at a recreational level can be safely recommended as a general health exercise, with the evidence suggesting that it has benefits for hip and knee joint health.”

So, what does this mean for people with, or are susceptible to, osteoarthritis?

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