Are you itching to get off the couch and start running, but there’s something holding you back?
Shin splints are more common than you think. They are sharp shooting pains on your lower leg when you give jogging a go.
They are small tears in the area where the lower leg muscle attaches to the tibia, aka the shin bone. The tears result from overuse, and since pavement taxes your muscles more than a treadmill, many runners complain of shin pain when they first begin outdoor runs.
Shin splints often occur because the calf muscle becomes stronger than the tibialis anterior, the muscle on the outside of the shin. Even if the ache isn’t that bad, it’s still a minor injury.
But just because you might suffer from the leg pain doesn’t mean you have to give up on running altogether. We have the top tips on how to prevent and avoid shin splints and get back into your running routine…
Check Your Run
Landing on the heel when you run can result in shin splits, knee injuries or a pulled calf muscle. Focus on landing mid-foot than on the heel.
Strengthen Up
Since shin splints can be caused by a muscular imbalance, strengthen the muscles in the lower legs by doing variations of walking on your toes and heels as well as shin-strengthening with a dumbbell.
Run On Softer Surfaces
Footpaths are hard on the joints and muscles. Running on dirt roads or woodsy trails could eliminate the pain immediately.
Don’t Skip The Stretch
Make time for stretches that target your lower legs, even on days you don’t exercise.
There’ll be no stopping you now!
Think Outside Running
Try other types of exercise to strengthen all your muscles and to maintain flexibility. Cycle, swim, hike, walk, do yoga or hit the weights room at your gym.
Rest
Some days of rest are necessary, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop all physical exercise. Do low-intensity exercise that doesn’t aggravate your shins such as walking or swimming.
Ice It
It mightn’t be something you’d overly enjoy, but a quick ice massage can do wonders. Wrap ice in a towel and massage the front side of your legs, it can really help troubled shins.
Go Up
Running downhill can make you more susceptible to painful shin splints by putting pressure on your shinbones, but running uphill can alleviate that stress. You can add an incline on the treadmill too. It doesn’t have to be a hill-climbing job, just a small tweak will do.
Ease Into The Outdoors
Once the weather warms up, don’t expect to be able to run for miles in 45 minutes straight like you could on the treadmill. It’s a much harder workout in the outdoors. Slow down the pace, run shorter distances and don’t be ashamed to walk when necessary.
