Can't jog due to shin splints - help please!

Are you new to exercise? If so, slow it waaaaaaaaaay down and start with just walking. You're probably trying to do too much too soon. Once you've got the distance covered with walking, then try something like c25k.

^ this. I used to get shin splints because i started off too fast. I slowed down to walking a couple miles a day on an incline to strengthen my shins. After a few weeks i started running again and they were gone. Be sue to stretch before and after.

If the pain is in the front of your shin, try looking up tibialis anterior workouts/stretches. I have noticed a lot less soreness after doing them for a while.

Also, find a good sports massage therapist. Sometimes the problem is an imbalance in calf muscles causing the tibialis anterior to overwork to compensate for the tightness of other muscles.

I'm thirding (fourthing) finding some exercises / stretches to lengthen the muscles in front of your shins. I've been plagued by shin splints since I started walking more seven months ago. Doing the stretches has really helped.

(That's assuming you've got the right shoes and you're warming up and cooling down well...)

Laugh not..my gym had a chiropractor..he told me to roll a rolling pin over them. I thought he was nuts. But it got so bad I said what the heck..it worked..Apparently it stretches out the muscle..go figure..FYI my kid never let me use that one again for baking..silly boy..

I get shin splints, I am working on strengthening my leg muscles and doing the point toe exercises to see if that helps.

DO NOT CONTINUE TO RUN WITH SHIN SPLINTS.

It only gets worse and worse so much that it hurts to even walk. It was a very painful and long lesson to learn. When my boyfriend runs, I walk the track or I climb the stadium stairs. I am going to try running again soon, but I think I will try the 30sec increment increase that was recommended on here.

Aqua jogging? Either just walking or running in the pool or put on a flotation belt and hop in the deep end and "run" its easy on the joints.

If the pain is in the front of your shin, try looking up tibialis anterior workouts/stretches. I have noticed a lot less soreness after doing them for a while.

Also, make sure you are running with proper form. This video explains it pretty well in my opinion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-7beA-daw

I think this is key. I recommend tptherapy.com

Good shoes (not Chuck Taylor's!), good insoles, stretch your calves, front of the calves, quads and hamstrings before running.

Strengthen the front of your calf with reverse calf raises: http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/TibialisAnterior/BBReverseCalfRaise.html. High reps, 15 to 20 reps, three sets, two to three times a week.

Use elliptical or cycle, or walk uphill or on an incline.

I would look into Dr. John Sarno (do a search for his books on Amazon). He'll help with your shin splints. Also, running is a crap exercise. Get a pull up bar, some kettle bells, and find a different form of cardio that you like.

Excuse me? Running is a crap exercise? Since when? Since when is the best way to get outdoors, think about life & get a damn good workout a crap exercise? Not everyone wants or can do pullups or use a kettle bell. Think about that next time you insult every single runner out there.

Hello!

I meant that I had changed my shoes - how would I know if they weren't suitable as they feel fine and supportive?

I was new to running, yes. I had never run before in my life so I started the couch to 5k and I managed to get to, I think, week 5/6? But the increase was too much for me so I stopped, then I started running on the treadmill in the gym in shorter bursts. So I'm pretty new to running, yes. I can walk fine, I just find it extremely boring.

I have started using the cross trainer which I know is low impact, but I want to be able to sort out the shin splints so I am able to run, not just avoid it altogether. I really dislike the cross trainer as well. I don't know how, but I get so out of breathe on there compared to other things I use in the gym and can't do it for long - any advice on this?

I mostly use the bike in the gym which I do enjoy using and can stay on there for a long time and appears to be burning a lot of calories (according to the machine) but I feel it's not changing my body shape or helping me lose any weight/tone up, which I think running would help with.

I usually do weights before I start and sometimes the bike and I also start with a warm up walk so I'm not just diving straight into the running. I will have to try doing more stretches aimed at my lower legs though - I'll try the ones in that link, thanks!

Just because your shoes feel like they give you the correct support when you are standing or walking does not necessarily mean they will give support for your particular running gait. If you go to a store that specializes in running - they can *kitten* your gait and tell you if the shoes you have are correct for your movement.

As you can tell by the number of responses that echoed mine - a great number of people experience shin pain when they first start running - it is not necessarily a bad thing - any more than muscle soreness is after you first start lifting. They key - as others have said - is to decide whether it is debilitating or just something you need to work through. As for doctors - there's an old joke - A man goes into a doctor and says I've broken my arm in three places, the doctor responds "Well stay out of those places!" (Groucho Marx I think) The point is - unless you go to a doctor who specializes in sports medecine or a physio - the diagnoses you will get is to stop doing what causes the pain.

Learn what your body is telling you - that, for me - is part of the fun of exercise. I ran this morning on the treadmill - 5 min at 6mph, then intervals - 1min at 7.5mph, back to 6pmh for 1 1/2 min, repeat until 30 min flies by. I'm 52 - I've been running on and off for 30 years - I know my body and what it can do. I know when to push and when to listen. It takes a while - but you'll get there.

Check out runnersworld.com - always helpful info.