Most people think that runners have a higher risk of developing knee problems in the future than non-runners. And this was actually proven by a 1999 study that showed women who are active in heavy physical sports as teenagers have a high risk of developing hip osteoarthritis.

But a recent study is now disproving that fact, and is in fact saying that there is no connection between running and joint injury. More, it says that running may even be protective of the joints. According to the study, commissioned by the Stanford University and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine by author James Fries, there is no correlation between running and knee injury. It also didn’t matter how long the runner took on—whether it may be 200 or 2,000 miles a year.

The study said that “runners experienced less physical disability, and had a 39% lower mortality rate than the non-runners.”

Also, Australian researchers found out that people who exercise a lot had thicker and healthier knee cartilage compared with their sedentary peers. This means that those who vigorously exercise everyday is also exposed to less risk of knee problems in the future.