Q: I am a 21 years old boy having severe pain in my legs and in both the knee joints after jogging and exercising. I have pain in the bone below my knees . My height is 5.7 feet and weight is 70 kg. I was an athlete in my teenage years but now have stopped taking part in any physical activities. I came to know that with continued jogging, my pain would lessen. I tried jogging around 3-4 times in the last 5 months and every time I did jog, I had to quit because of the pain. I continued jogging even in pain but it never decreased and so finally had to quit. What could be the cause and what precautions should I take to treat this pain?

A:The pain you feel may be due to many reasons, so do get a doctor to look at it. In the mean time, even though you used to be an athlete, as you grow or as your exercise routine changes, you will find changes that occur in the body. For that reason, you should also make changes to accommodate your programme. The pain in the front of the legs, under the knees that you refer to, could be due to the pounding of the impact of jogging. Even though you jog on loose ground, the impact goes through the legs. Here are some things you can do: Instead of jogging, you can get almost the same benefit by brisk walking with less risk of pain. Wear a pair of supported shoes with well-cushioned heels so that the impact is less, even if you are walking. Remember to wear socks to further reduce the impact. Always start each episode of walking slow, warming up and then build it up. Add stretches in your routine, before and after your walk. Specifically for the soreness in the area you described, stand with one leg crossed in front of the other, rest the front leg on the tips of its toes. With the back leg, push the front leg forward and you will feel a stretch in that area.