If you, like many people, have come into the new year thinking ‘I need to start exercising more’, there’s a good chance running is a form of exercise that you’re considering. And whilst running is a great form of exercise, it can also lead to injuries if you’re not ready to deal with the loads it puts on your body. A very common injury is medial tibial stress syndrome, more commonly known as shin splints, and it normally presents as pain over the front lower inner portion of your shin, or the front of your shin bone.
5 Ways To Avoid Shin Splints
The pain comes from the tendons and bone around the tibia (shin bone) becoming inflamed. Worst-case scenario, and if left untreated, shin splints can progress to stress fractures. They are typically an overuse injury and often start after a sudden change in load, such as taking up running. Below are a few exercises that should help to reduce the likelihood of pain, so if you’re starting running or increasing how much you’re doing, take a look and start to include some as part of an exercise routine to help reduce the risk of injury.
Calf Raises
Standing off the edge of a step, let your heels drop down. You’ll likely feel a stretch in your calf. Push and lift your heels as high as you can then slowly lower back down, focus on a nice smooth movement. Imagine turning a dimmer switch as you lift up and back down. Perform 3 x 15 repetitions and repeat 2-3x a week.
Calf Stretching
Standing, place one foot back behind you and the other in front. Lean forward and push your back heel into the ground until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold for 30s. Repeat once every day.
Shin Stretch
Start in a kneeling position with the tops of your feet resting flat on the ground. Then slowly sit back onto your heels until you feel a stretch across the front of your ankle and shin. Hold for 30s. Repeat once a day.
Ankle Dorsiflexion
Sit/lean back against a wall. With your feet slightly out in front of you. Keep your feet on the ground but lift your toes and end of your feet up off the ground as high as possible and hold for 10s. You should feel the muscles at the front of your shin working hard. Perform 2 x 10 repetitions and repeat 2-3x a week
Single Leg Balance
Stand on one leg and see how good your balance is. If you find this too easy try closing your eyes or playing catch with yourself by throwing a ball against a wall. Perform 4 x 45s balances and repeat 2-3x a week.
…And much more!
Other things to consider as well are not increasing your training volume and intensity too quickly as often shin splints are caused by a sudden change in loading. As a very general rule of thumb, try not to increase by more than 10% per week and be mindful not to increase distance and speed at the same time. Pick just one and work on increasing that.
If however, you think you are already feeling shin splints the best advice is to take time out. You need to let the inflammation settle down so take a week or two off of running. You’ll probably find putting ice onto the area or doing an ice massage will help reduce any pain you might have. After letting it rest the next thing to do is to start gradually loading the area again, with the exercises above or in some cases may need altering depending on how irritated the tissue was.
At Walnut Grove we can help guide you back into exercise or if you are starting exercise for the first time, like running, by guiding you with appropriate advice or treatment individually to prevent injury in the first place. Tom, for instance, has previously run courses for beginners guides to running and can help with a suitable plan to get you fit for the New Year!
