I get shin splints REALLY easily, what can I do to prevent this?!
Question: They hurt so bad, and I would like to excercise!
Answers: They hurt so bad, and I would like to excercise!
Treatment for shin splints includes rest, massage, ice, stretching, and strengthening. Rest and ice is sometimes the best treatment. You should also be stretching your calves and Achilles tendon real well. If you have the problem during running or walking, try warming up more and don't increase the speed too quickly. You can also try varying the speed and elevation of the treadmill if you use one instead of keeping it the same.
To stretch your calves:
1. Lean against a wall with one leg forward and the knee bent.
2. Keep the rear leg straight, heel on the floor.
3. Keep your back straight and lean your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your calf. If you don't feel it too much, put your toe of the rear leg up on a tree limb, or a dumbbell, or any other small object, so that you bend the ankle more. Your heel always remains on the floor. That will increase the stretch.
4. To stretch the soleus muscle and Achilles (very important for shin splints), do the same calf stretch but bend the back knee slightly and you will feel the pull on your Achilles tendon.
When you stretch, make sure to hold the stretch until you feel looser and not just for 10-15 seconds. The point to stretching is to stretch the muscle, so hold it until you feel stretched.
Also make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you lots of support, particularly in the arch. If your shins hurt you should gently massage them and then ice them after you work out.
diet wise, get a lot of calcium and protein, to help strengthen ur bone and muscle repairing ability. when you run, be aware of your posture, don't be hunched over. if ur a sprinter, try runningm more on ur toes. long distance running should have a flat step though. finally, don't push urself too far too fast! progress sloooowly. always be aware that ur arches get proper support. hope this helps.
Make sure to stretch before you do any exercise or workout.
Shin splints are often caused by overactive or tight calf muscles and underactive or weak anterior tibialis and posterior tibialis muscles. Before your workouts stretch your calves really well, then you should do isolated strengthening of the weak muscles I mentioned above. After your workout you should ice the painful area and again stretch your calves. If it is getting increasingly worse you may be suffering from posterior tibialis tendinitis or possibly a stress fracture of your tibia. If you have numbness/tingling in your foot and tightness in your lower leg that does not resolve shortly after exercise you should see an physician asap because it may be a condition known as compartment syndrome....