If you’re a runner, shin splints have probably ruined your day—or thwarted a workout—at one point or one other. While not a magical cure-all, stretches for shin splints can play an enormous role in warding off the issue (and should show you how to ease the pain, too).
Shin splints are generally considered an overuse injury, and are sometimes triggered by high-impact activities like running or HIIT training, Kat Torre, DPT, CSCS, an RRCA-certified run coach and co-owner of Pure Sports Physical Therapy in Washington, DC, tells SELF. The repeated force with these sorts of activities causes stress on the bone and attached muscles, which might result in irritation and pain—often of the “nagging, sometimes sharp and stabby” variety, Torre says.
You can get them in two different spots: Medial shin splints occur on the inner front a part of your tibia or shin, while anterior shin splints develop on the surface front of it. Both types are often linked to a fast increase in activity or drastic change in it. For instance, in case you haven’t been running frequently then suddenly start logging 20 miles per week, otherwise you’re hitting hill work hard if you’ve really never done it before, that may put lots of strain on the shin bone and connected muscles, Torre says. (Unsupportive or worn out footwear can play a job too.)
Muscle imbalances (and particularly, calf tightness) in your lower legs and ankles can even contribute. “The seesaw isn’t even between the back and front, and if you pull an excessive amount of in a single direction, the opposite can get irritated,” Torre explains. Basically, in case you’re running with tight calves, the opposing muscles within the front of your legs can turn out to be overworked and find yourself strained.
In a lot of cases, the discomfort with shin splints is not severe enough to push you to get immediate medical attention—say, like with a stress fracture, when pain tends to be more significant and frequently persists even if you’re not running. Rather, it’s more uncomfortable (which might lead you to shorten your runs or cancel them altogether), and it may possibly feel prefer it just lingers and lingers.
That’s why having a plan ready could be key to stopping shin splints of their tracks. And probably the most effective one is multi-pronged: The first part features a solid dose of normal strength training. The overall goal of that is to maintain your glutes, hamstrings, and quads strong enough so that they can take the strain off your shins and the encompassing tendons. You’ll also wish to specifically strengthen the muscles within the front of your shin, which takes a number of the pressure off your tibial bone and reduces pain, Torre adds. Try to suit strengthening into your workout program not less than twice per week.
Then there’s the second piece of the puzzle—stretching—which plays a good larger role in case you’re already coping with shin splint pain. Stretching frequently keeps your lower half balanced and takes the additional pressure off the front of your legs. “As far as maintenance and ensuring shin splints don’t come back,” Torre says, “I can’t emphasize enough how vital stretching is.” In particular, moves that focus on your shins and calves can play an enormous role in easing discomfort.
Torre recommends incorporating dynamic ankle and lower-body stretches into your running warm-ups and more static stretches into your cool-downs. Then, two to thrice per week, make it some extent to briefly stretch your lower legs (emphasizing your shins and calves) as a standalone routine, even in case you just spend two minutes doing it—consider it as maintenance work.
Not sure which stretches for shin splints are the most effective for keeping the annoying condition at bay? Read on for some great ones to try—together with some tips about how you can slot them into your routine.
