My heart says yes but my shins say no

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happytree923
happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been working on beginning to run for almost a year now, with a combination of C25K-type plans and speed walking on the treadmill. I'm in MUCH better condition than I was at the beginning, but I'm still battling shin splints. I took several long breaks, stretching, saw a doctor, working on form, have good shoes, etc. and they are getting better. The problem is the amount of running I can do without aggravating my shins is not very challenging for me anymore. Any advice on how to get more cardio in? I do not have access to a spin bike or a pool.

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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Have you tried running outside?
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Have you tried running outside?

    I am running outside mostly on a soft trail. Sometimes concrete but I quit running on the treadmill completely because it makes them 10000% worse.
  • SusanMcMc
    SusanMcMc Posts: 252 Member
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    Are there any hilly places you can hike nearby? That’s my favorite cardio followed by water walking.
  • Go_Deskercise
    Go_Deskercise Posts: 1,630 Member
    edited August 2018
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    Here is the article that helped me: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/liana-wernergray/21-things-to-do-if-you-ge_b_11805648.html

    edit: I also started a multi-vitamin while trying several things from the above list and I have no more shin splints :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    Have you had your speed walking on the treadmill analyzed?

    If you are doing a mix of both, but focusing on the running aspect, you may want to look at your speed walking gait, stride, and footwear.

    Shorter steps are needed for speed, and a walking shoe (different than a running shoe) with a rolled heal may help.

    Cheers, h.
  • TrishSeren
    TrishSeren Posts: 587 Member
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    Try a gelatin supplement, sounds weird but honestly, I had issues with my calves that had doctor's shaking their heads. Whatever it also gave me shin splints. NOTHING worked. I had xrays, MRI, ultrasound, stretching, massaging, compression test, foam rolling, dry needling and more and it didn't do a thing.

    My other half suggested gelatin (he's a S & C coach and biomechanist) and it worked.
  • hutazi
    hutazi Posts: 13 Member
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    have you tried adding a jump rope routine into your workout? that helped me when i was dealing with shin splints
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    How do you land?

    Do you hear the front of your foot commonly slap the ground because of heal first, even slightly heal first?
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
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    Thanks for the tips, but like I said, they are slowly getting better with stretching and improving my foot strike. I'll definitely revisit these if I need to, but my main concern is getting more cardio in in the meantime. Thanks!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    happytree923 wrote: »
    Thanks for the tips, but like I said, they are slowly getting better with stretching and improving my foot strike. I'll definitely revisit these if I need to, but my main concern is getting more cardio in in the meantime. Thanks!

    Non-walking/running/biking/swimming cardio:

    Mountain Climbing
    Rock climbing
    Indoor rock climbing
    Spin class
    Aerobics
    Zumba
    Tai Bo
    Les Mills Grit
    Les Mills Pump
    HIIT
    Elliptical trainer
    Ballet
    Tap Dancing
    Jazzercise
    Kayaking
    Canoeing
    Surfing
    Bodyboarding
    Paragliding
    Football
    Australian Rules Football
    Soccer
    Basketball
    Netball
    Tennis
    Squash
    Lacrosse
    Hockey
    Ice Hockey
    Boxing
    Burpees
    Plyometrics
    Skiing
    Snowboarding
    Gardening
    Raking leaves
    Rollerblading
    Skateboarding
    Ice skating
    Rollerskating
  • greyparks206
    greyparks206 Posts: 165 Member
    edited August 2018
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    happytree923 wrote: »
    Thanks for the tips, but like I said, they are slowly getting better with stretching and improving my foot strike. I'll definitely revisit these if I need to, but my main concern is getting more cardio in in the meantime. Thanks!

    I have struggled with shin splints and knee pain off and on. When I'm having a flair up, I substitute Fitness Blender cardio videos for my runs (sometimes I have to modify the moves to cut out the jumping/squatting/lunging). It seems to help, and strengthening my quads, hamstrings, and glutes through the moves on the videos has also helped me improve my speed while running.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    You might need different shoes. Doing heel and toe raises can help strengthen the muscles.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    Everybody cross-trains nowadays.
    Run for as long as you can without aggravating your shins.
    Then come home and work on some bodyweight strength training.
    You need a strong core to run well. You need strong legs.
    Do air squats, planks, plyometric jumps, lunges.
    The Runner's World website has strength routines for runners.
    Coach Jay Johnson has a Youtube channel and, on there, he has a number of SAM (strength and mobility) routines that you could use. They go from one to five, increasing in difficulty as they go up.
    Good luck with the shin splints. Every runner gets them at some point, and they get through them or they wouldn't be runners, so I would assume that you will get through yours.

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