Shin Splints

[Ave07]

So in my conquest to lose weight I encounter shin splints when I go out for a jog every morning, I think I can run 3 solid minutes before the pain becomes unbearable so I walk for 10 minutes before I do another 3 min sprint.

Is there any special warm up I should be doing to prevent or reduce shin splints? Every time I look it up online some say to do stretches before or after which is just confusing. I also have running shoes so that can't be the problem and I have been doing it for a few weeks.

Thanks!

[-Ethos-]

I found when i stopped running for an extended period of time and started running again suddenly or doing anything of high intensity, my shin splints were really painful. My doctor basically said do the stretches before and after exercise, and just stick to walking til the muscles build back up.

This stretch in particular helped a lot prior a run.
Sorry the picture is tiny it was the only one i could find on google.
Basically you put your leg on a curb or step with the ball of your foot on the edge and your heel on the floor and gently push into it.

[sheffield]

ugh, hate shin splints.. what i hate even more is the ice bath to soak them afterwards

[Jijek]

There are a lot of factors that can cause shin splints... Your shoes could be too old, your running form may be bad, you may not be stretching enough, and.. you may be too heavy to run. We run 3 days a week in my unit. And I hate running, but I never get shin splints because I found a good pair of shoes and I stuck with them. I buy the same ones every single time. Also.. I used to weigh 340 pounds.. I'm not sure how much you weigh, but running at that weight was not a good idea at all. It's best to start out with about 45 minutes of Medium Intensity Steady State cardio.

[Badpaladin]

Yeah, you're going to have to likely hold off on the running. Good news is there are a ton of other exercises that are good "cardio" and don't cause your shins to explode.

[Kaneiac]

I tried running and had the same issues. I eventually got over my self-consciousness and tried swimming at the local fitness center. Worked a LOT better for me.

[blacklamb]

Ah shin splints, the runner's bane.

What really helps me before I do any plyometrics is to stand on some steps and dorsi/plantarflex. Make sure you can feel the stretch, do it until you get a bit of a burn. I never get shin splints if I do those. Make sure you are fully healed before you get back into hardcore running, though.

[Kreyzor]

Probably the best thing you can do to combat shin splints is buy Compression socks, and wear them during and after your runs. They can be a bit pricey but I know a lot of people that said that they really help.

Also, how you run is a big factor in getting shin splints too; if you "pound" a lot when you run, you're putting a lot more stress on your shins than needed. You can actively change how how you run to fix this over time, but don't do anything too drastic. Also new shoes, if you have old, crappy, worn down shoes, you have much less support and cushioning which could be causing it. Running on grass or any softer surfaces for a while is also one of the best things you can do, try and stay off pavement.

[Radux]

The only way to properly recover from shin splints is rest/recovery and ice.

A minor warm up, and thorough stretching certainly will reduce the possibility of injury in the future. However, your best possible solution would be to have a more proactive/preventative run. And what I mean by that, is to have less road runs and more runs in grass/sand/etc.

Also, proper shoes can do wonders for this sort of thing as well. Though I'm a huge advocate of barefoot running, if you aren't used to it or just don't intend on going that route, you need to get to a proper shoe store that can help properly fit you for a pair of running shoes.

[Ave07]

Found a video with some good stretches to reduce splints while running, thanks for the advice everyone much appreciated.

[barrsftw]

So in my conquest to lose weight I encounter shin splints when I go out for a jog every morning, I think I can run 3 solid minutes before the pain becomes unbearable so I walk for 10 minutes before I do another 3 min sprint.

Is there any special warm up I should be doing to prevent or reduce shin splints? Every time I look it up online some say to do stretches before or after which is just confusing. I also have running shoes so that can't be the problem and I have been doing it for a few weeks.

Thanks!

At Track when we had shin splints the coaches always made up run in the grass. I think running on soft surfaces helps prevent further splinting.