Tight Shins

jchite84

This is an issue I've always had intermittently. Sometimes within the first mile of a run I'll get really tight, cramped, and sore tibialis anteriors, particularly in my right leg. I'll stop and stretch and try and work them out, but the tightness usually comes back within a mile. It probably only happens once every few weeks, but I'd like it not to happen at all. I read that it could be a muscular inbalance between the TA and calves, but from looking at how everything connects, I'm not sure what the mechanics of that would be, as I don't see much in the way of common tendons or anything like that. Anybody have any tips or tricks?

Stoshew71

First off, many running injuries or irregularities can be hard to diagnose because the culprit body part is nowehere near the muscle that end's up injured or where you feel the discomfort. So you cannot go by direct connection.

Think of it this way. When you are running, there are so many muscles and body parts that are involved. You have the obvious muscles that are actually contributing to making you move forward, but you also have muscles that are stabilizing your body and making sure you don't fall over as your body weights shifts between one leg to the other in mid air. You also have different body parts that are taking load forces everytime your foot strikes the ground. Those load forces are traveling up your leg and even reaching your torso.

In a lot of cases, the specific body part that get's injured is your weakest body part. Think of your legs and hips and core and back as a chain. Your running efficiency is only as good as the weakest link in that chain. Not only that, if certain muscles or body parts that are supposed to be doing a very specific role in your running, and they are too weak to perform that role, then you are forcing another body part to compensate for that. Compensating is forcing you to run with very inefficient form. The particular muscle that you are compensating with was not designed to do what it is doing and thus many times that may be the first thing to get injured.

For example, if you have weak glute muscles or you are not engaging those muscles properly, you are forcing your hamstrings to take on the role that your glute muscles were supposed to be doing. Then you end up pulling your hamstring muscle. You think, well I need to build up my hamstrings. But no matter how much work you try and strengthen the hamstrings, until you learn to engage your glutes, you will always have a problem with your hamstrings.

Shins are the same way and so many things could effect your shins. The best way to reduce your injuries or discomfort is an overall muscle strengthening workout that targets glutes, hips, core, lower back, hamstrings, quads, and calves. Also see if you can get a professional to look at your running form and see if you are running with inefficient form. They can often advise you on specific drills and ways to adapt your running technique.

Also be careful with shins. Sometimes they can develop into shin splints and even stress fractures.
You can also try this yoga routine that I love for loosening up my shin and calves:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc3haRNn-5I

louubelle16

Thanks for that yoga video, looks perfect for me as I'm prone to tight shins too.

jchite84

Thanks! The yoga looks great. I usually do the sun salutation after a long run. I'll have to incorporate some new moves in.