[notacoward]

Running the wrong way is hard on the knees and everything else, and is surprisingly common even among those who run a lot. When I started running nearly five years ago, I quickly realized that I was doing it wrong. A little research on stride and foot landings, a few adjustments, and things were a lot better. If I'd kept running the "naive" way I'm sure I would have wrecked my knees in no time. As it is, I've had fewer injuries (and illnesses!) than before I started. As with most systems in the body, making your knees work a bit is likely to be beneficial.

BTW, one irony with running form is that it's often the young fast folks who are the worst. I often see some high-school or college kid zipping by with atrocious form, because at that age it's easy to get away with. I cringe when I think of what's going to happen when they get older, their bodies change, and they're still slamming their feet into the pavement. By contrast, older runners tend to be more careful about form. The ones who aren't tend to become non-runners very quickly.