Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

I've got a nicely tweaked left knee that either works for 10-plus milers or devastates me within a mile. No idea when it'll strike, but when it does, I'm not happy, so when I heard about Opedix's R1 knee support system, I perked up. I've never been a 'running tights' kind of guy, but if they'd help, I was willing to convert.

Designed in conjunction with an orthopedic specialist in Vail, Colorado, Opedix's R1 knee support tights use an anchor and sling design which is said to stabilize and take stress off the knees and stabilize the joint. 

I got to test out Opedix's R1 running tights as well as their Posture Shirt, which, as the name suggests, encourages better posture by pulling the shoulders back into alignment, relieving stress on the neck and shoulders and improving lung capacity.

With the promise of pain-free running before me, I sucked up my aversion to running in tights and ran with the R1's. They're surprisingly comfortable-the compression gives a great feeling of support, the fabric feels smooth and lightweight.  They actually look pretty sharp as well, with the contrasting orange seams. The reflective lining on the back of the calves is a nice touch, too.

The shirt gives you more of a 'holy cow' feeling-as soon as you put it on, you can feel your back straighten out (my writer's slouch was greatly diminished).

As soon as I got up to speed I could feel that my form felt a lot tighter, more efficient, and before too long it felt as if the R1's were putting more spring in my step. I can't quantify the improvement in lung capacity, but I can tell you that the PS shirt really supported my upper body's form, keeping my shoulders back, my head up and eyes forward as I ran.

More importantly, my knees held up like champs-the lingering ache that I'd have to fend off never showed up, and my legs felt a lot less wasted after a long run. The alignment is effective, but subtle, so there was no painful adjustment period-just a solid solution to a lingering problem.

Opedix has men's and women's versions of the R1 knee support systems, for $190.00, (they also feature systems designed for skiiers and snowboarders) and the Posture Shirt goes for about $100.  If you don't have health issues that may seem kind of steep, but if your activity has been hampered by a injuries, then I'd highly recommend giving these a good hard look.

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• knee_support