Help with Shin Splints

me too! it hurts so bad and frusturating, want to see the responses

Sorry to say that I had to stop doing the 30DS for that reason alone. No matter how I modified it, I was in agony.

I know somewhere on the boards there are some exercises that people recommend, but they didn't help me either.

I totally sympathize with you!:sad: :sad:

When I had shin splints, I found that walking around in my house on my heels helped some.. Also, lie down on the bed face down with your toes hanging over the end of the bed, then curl your feet/toes up using the mattress as resistance.
Time and these exercises helped me eventually, but shin splints are definitely no fun.
Good luck!!

Well, first thing would be shoes, but you've got that covered. Do you stretch your shins? Try sitting on your couch, pointing your toe, and then writing out the alphabet with your toe. Do that three times with each foot, twice a day, every day, for a week or so (while you let them rest). Ice also helps. Are you able to run or workout on a softer surface? Grass/dirt is much easier on the body than concrete. It could be how your foot lands as well. It happens from heavy impact, so see if you can soften your strides to lessen your impact.

I used to get them all the time until I started doing workouts in minimalist/barefoot. I never have a problem anymore. I found my custom shoes were to controlling and forcing my body to fight against them. I let my body natural react to things now and all pain is gone.

I am doing couch to 5k too! and I started to get shin splints. I just bought Superfeet insoles to put into my Nikes and they have almost eliminated the pain. They are about 35 bucks at REI.

I've never done the 30 DS, so I don't know what's all involved there.All I can offer is ice, advil and doing low-impact workouts, like cycling or swimming. It sounds dumb, but walk backward. It helps keep them from happening, but I'm not sure about doing when you've already got them.

Try doing a search of the boards. I know there are a lot of people on here dealing with it. Best of luck!

I wonder if something is off with your stride. My personal guess would be that you are putting too much weight in the ball of your foot and not enough in the heel. Are you getting your heels down completely with every step/jump?

However, this sounds like a case where it would be really good to get a physical therapist to evaluate you. Without seeing you actually do the things that hurt, it can be hard to make a good assesment.

Maybe in the meantime do the low-impact version on 30DS and/or no impact workouts, like swimming or using an elliptical?

Warming up, cooling down, pausing, stretching, and ice.

Walk before you run, always. Try for 5 minutes or a quarter mile.
If your legs start to hurt really badly during a run, stop and stretch your shins. I take a lunge position, but then straighten out my front leg pointing strong through my toe.
After you run, cool down. Walk 5 minutes or a quarter mile. Then go through you static stretches, featuring lots of toe points.
The next big thing: ice your shins! It relieves the pain a lot and makes me feel oodles better during my next run. Take a ibuprofen if you need to.

Other than that, watch your form. You're probably heel striking to hard, which causes shin splints (and can be from improper form and/or running on too ahrd of surfaces). Trying lifting up more on your toes. It will be difficult and feel strange at first, but it's easier on your shin.


If you didn't know, shin splints are caused by your calf basically overworking your shin muscles. Your calf is a large, strong muscle. Your shin is not. When you run and lead forward with your heel, this is flexing your shin, causing it to work hard and contract like crazy. By running further forward on your foot, your shin contracts less.


Good luck!

I don't know what is up with my body, but it seems that no matter what I do I get Shin Splints. I was trying to do Couch to 5K, and after running for 2 days I am in A LOT of pain, each time. I am not sure what to do at this point I even get them doing the 30 Day Shred (during cardio). I have good running shoes (custom fit at a running store), and I have rested my shins for long period of time when I get them, but nothing i do seems to help. I have stopped running thinking that maybe I am just not built for it, but I REALLY do not want to stop doing the 30 Day Shred.

Any suggestions?

Did you run two days in a row? This could be it. In C25K you are only supposed to run 3 days a week to allow your muscles time to rest and build up to running.

Warming up, cooling down, pausing, stretching, and ice.

Walk before you run, always. Try for 5 minutes or a quarter mile.
If your legs start to hurt really badly during a run, stop and stretch your shins. I take a lunge position, but then straighten out my front leg pointing strong through my toe.
After you run, cool down. Walk 5 minutes or a quarter mile. Then go through you static stretches, featuring lots of toe points.
The next big thing: ice your shins! It relieves the pain a lot and makes me feel oodles better during my next run. Take a ibuprofen if you need to.

Other than that, watch your form. You're probably heel striking to hard, which causes shin splints (and can be from improper form and/or running on too ahrd of surfaces). Trying lifting up more on your toes. It will be difficult and feel strange at first, but it's easier on your shin.


If you didn't know, shin splints are caused by your calf basically overworking your shin muscles. Your calf is a large, strong muscle. Your shin is not. When you run and lead forward with your heel, this is flexing your shin, causing it to work hard and contract like crazy. By running further forward on your foot, your shin contracts less.


Good luck!

However, if you run (or jump, or do anything with impact) without fully putting down your heel, you are actually making your calf work harder because only when your heel is on the ground can your calf muscle relax. It would be like walking around on half-toe all the time - it would be a crazy hard workout on your calf.

So, try not to heel strike as hard, but DO be sure to put your heel down.

Last I heard, there are some 18 theories on what causes shin splints. I personally subscribe to theory #18, that there are at least 17 things that can cause these same symptoms.

In no particular order, the easiest fix is that your shoes may not be right or properly fitted for you. Go to a good athletic shoe store, I like New Balance but your mileage may vary, explain the problem and see what they recommend. They may suggest orthotics, or even different orthotics for each foot. Try them out in the store. If that is the problem you may experience immediate relief.

Others have covered stretching and warmups.

We all saw our doctors before starting our weight loss program, right? And he did a full blood workup, right? Check your lab work and see if any of your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, & magnesium), are near the low end of the range. If so consider a supplement.

For that matter, a good multi-vitamin/mineral is a good idea, losing weight or no.

Massaging the Tibialis Anterior muscle (the musle on the mid-outer part of your lower leg) after your runs, may help too, along with all of the stretches, ice, etc that the other MFPers have mentioned, good luck I'm almost done with my Massage Therapy program, woohoo!