Anonymous wrote:They are if you run on a slight incline (1 or 2)

i've heard this before. however, if you have bad knees i would highly consider switching to the elliptical and bike and giving up running. its just not worth it.

Plus one for the elliptical. Thank goodness for that thing.

- Bad Knees

I've always heard that the softer the surface, the easier it is on the joints. (knees, ankles, hips.) So dirt > running track > asphalt > concrete. (> = better than.) I'd assume that treadmill would be a softer surface than any of those things, so my guess would be "yes."

That said, what would be even better for your knees is to not run on consecutive days and do something lower impact on your "off" days. I prefer the arc trainer. Also, make sure you're always running in good shoes, not ones that are "kicked" from keeping them too long.

There might be an eliptical in your future

Anonymous wrote:Better.

+1

I have been running exclusively on a treadmill (set on an incline) the past few months. I have had none of the painful knee problems that arose from running on asphalt prior to that. There are pros and cons to both methods, but if you have had knee problems a treadmill can help alleviate some of them.

It depends on the surface on which you'd be running outside. Better than trails, probably not. Better than concrete, for sure. Asphalt is also significantly softer than concrete.

They are if you run on a slight incline (1 or 2)

Better.

Are treadmills better or worse for your knees than running outside? I would think so, but had a friend tell me that treadmills were as bad for your knees - that doesn't make sense to me since the surface is not as hard.