I enjoy doing off-road running, but whenever I run down hills it really kills my knees. Is there anything I can do to prevent this pain?
Ben Campbell, Wigan

Matt Hart answers: Impact forces are much higher when you run downhill compared with uphill or on flat surfaces. Most of the forces come from the ‘braking’ effect of trying to slow yourself down, so you could try leaning forward more. It’s better for your knees if you just go with the flow – and you’ll end up running faster too. If you think you could do with losing a bit of weight, that would help with any knee problems.

If these tips don’t work you should see a specialist and get some orthotics (inserts) fitted to your running shoes.