Shin splints! Oh my!!!

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Lola7791
Lola7791 Posts: 85 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
What can I do to help this? Is it bc I'm so overweight and it will get better? Looking for inspirational friends too.
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  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    What activity are you doing? Running or walking you need good shoes designed for that exercise and properly fitted at a running store. Run or walk not landing hard on your heel. Especially running, take shorter strides and land midfoot. Shin splints are weak shin muscles screaming because they haven't been used. Strengthen those muscles by doing exercises such as standing with just the balls of your feet on a step and raising yourself up and down, sit with your feet flat on the floor and do toe raises or practice writing the the alphabet in the air with your big toe.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Quit heel striking.
  • Stooooo
    Stooooo Posts: 1,191 Member
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    What can I do to help this? Is it bc I'm so overweight and it will get better? Looking for inspirational friends too.

    Invest in a foam roller. I've used one Monday and today on my shins and it has worked wonders.
  • Lola7791
    Lola7791 Posts: 85 Member
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    I am new to the jogging world! I have short legs and a jog is slow compared to most !
  • Cp731
    Cp731 Posts: 3,195 Member
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    yep! rolls those IT bands and adductors!
  • Mrsbutler85
    Mrsbutler85 Posts: 3 Member
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    I also have terrible shin splints from years of running and marching in the Army… Here is what you need to do, stop running on cement. Go to a treadmill or use the elliptical. As you lose weight and gain strength you can slowly introduce quick runs outside, but even then try to run on the grass. Shin splints have been with me for years, just stop running on hard surfaces. I hope this helps! =)
  • FindingMyself24
    FindingMyself24 Posts: 613 Member
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    When i first started doing TurboFire i got them all the time....but i bought new shoes and started stretching more after a workout and they eventually went away...
  • artickb22
    artickb22 Posts: 411 Member
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    lots of stretching before and after, foam roller and progressing slowly!
  • MorganLeighRN
    MorganLeighRN Posts: 411 Member
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    If you are really serious about running make sure that you have good running shoes. Not ones from a box store, but go to a running store and have them fit you for shoes. It will take a while to get them to go away. There is a product called Roll Recovery, it's expensive, but works really well. Feel free to add me! I love having running friends!
  • katekross
    katekross Posts: 463 Member
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    you need new shoes!
  • The_WoIverine
    The_WoIverine Posts: 367 Member
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    Quit heel striking.

    I don't think heel strike is the only reason for shin splints. I run using the ball of the foot and I still get shin splints. Apparently it happens because of weakness of the tibialis anterior. There are quite a few exercises that can help strengthen that muscle.
  • getfit_kal120
    getfit_kal120 Posts: 46
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    Shoes for sure. i use to get them before and now this time around with running i dont get them, also i dont know if this has much to do with it but before id run at night and go right to sleep i find running in the morning then walking around all day def helps. and eating/drinking enough to replenish ur muscles :)
  • Retrieverlove
    Retrieverlove Posts: 64
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    I suffered from shin splints for over 8 years and could not walk at a moderate pace for even a mile before the hot burning knots would appear in my legs. It was because of three things. One, I lived in London, England for 3 years about 7 and 1/2 years ago and would do my makeup at an old shaving mirror high up in the almost 100 year old house we rented. I overdeveloped my calf muscles. Secondly, since it was very often overcast there and I stopped drinking milk, my vitamin D levels went down without me knowing it. Then, instead of doctors checking my vitamin D levels due to living in an overcast country, they just told me to do physical therapy. I tried that and would avoid higher impact exercise and try to make sure that my shoes were always extra cushioning like Asics, but the shin splints only improved a little. What really helped was when they found out that I was vitamin D deficient and then I started taking 4,000 iu one day and alternate with 2,000 iu the next day in liquid caplet form from Costco. Only when I did this with magnesium and zinc did the shin splints go away. I can now walk 2 miles and do more impact in my Zumba fitness class, which I am very happy about since I love it. So, I hope some of this helps you. It can take a long time to build vitamin D back up to normal levels, about 6 months for me. If the doctors had tested me sooner, I would not have suffered for so long and could have exercised more.
  • Retrieverlove
    Retrieverlove Posts: 64
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    I wanted to add that I try to walk with my heel down most of the entire step now also. I found this on a website about shin splints. This has also helped. Cheers! :)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    lots of stretching before and after, foam roller and progressing slowly!

    ^^^This. You could also consider wearing compression sleeves for your calves while running. My running partner wears those and her shin splints went away within 2 weeks.
  • mommylifter
    mommylifter Posts: 123
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    When I first starting running on the treadmill I got them. Those fuc&ers hurt! I bought some new running shoes and took a break. I eases back into it and now no longer get them.
  • Lola7791
    Lola7791 Posts: 85 Member
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    I'm going to check into new shoes and I think I need to learn how to walk properly!! Sounds so strange
  • laurieagain09
    laurieagain09 Posts: 183 Member
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    They suck! I had them badly when I resumed jogging after a 6 month break. I don't have them anymore now that I have been a bit more consistent with my jogging, but now I keep getting groin pains :/
  • tcraw15
    tcraw15 Posts: 223 Member
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    New shoes could help. I used to get them real bad the first time I tried to lose weight (end of 2011 beginning of 2012) But this time around, I've been a bit smarter about some things.

    First of all, I used to run pretty much every day and I think that took a beating to my legs. It became my high. This time around I only run 3 times a week. Rest and recovery is important.

    Second, make sure to do a complete/full leg stretch after running. I also started incorporating a good shin stretch that seems to be helping out a LOT ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj2r4VtyRD4

    I have never used a foam roller before, but I have always heard great things about them. And like others have said, maybe that would help you out some?
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    lots of stretching before and after, foam roller and progressing slowly!

    ^^^Not this. Stretching before activity is not a good idea. You want to warm your muscles up not tear them down before you exercise. Walk before you run, do some jumping jacks, lightly jog in place but not static stretching before exercise. Stretching and foam rolling is for after.

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