Sharp pain in the front of my lower legs while running?

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eat4dathealth
eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all. I've been working out for a month now and with my workouts I tend to do from 30 minutes to an hour of cardio around 5x a week. I live in an apartment complex with a gym so I often use the treadmill and run intervals on it. It's nothing impressive. I walk about about 3.5 and jog at about 6.0. The incline also varies from 0 to 3. Some days I add biking in to the picture and use the exercise bike and set it at various resistance or "all terrain." The thing is that for some reason today when I went to do my normal workout after work my legs hurt so bad it was near impossible to run as I have been. Instead I ended up just walking 3.5 and letting it go between 0 and 3. I had really intense leg pain in the front of my lower legs. I don't know how else to describe the pain besides maybe feeling like...a charlie horse or a sharp cramping. It seemed very strange.

Any ideas about why this happened?

I am new to running but have found it's my go to work out now so it's really disappointing I wasn't able to.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 868 Member
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    From what you briefly described, it sounds like you may be experiencing shin splits.

    If you have only been working out a month, you are doing way too much too soon, in my opinion. And more than likely, that is the cause of your pain. Your body has gotten to a point where it can't overcompensate anymore and is rebelling.

  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    Second shin splints. Advil, ice and rest. Warm up and stretch.
  • eat4dathealth
    eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
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    Thank you both for the answers. Does this mean I should stop my regimen for a few days? Or will I still be okay to do something more low intensity like speed walking until they are better?
  • BasicGreatGuy
    BasicGreatGuy Posts: 868 Member
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    eat4dathealth wrote: »
    Thank you both for the answers. Does this mean I should stop my regimen for a few days? Or will I still be okay to do something more low intensity like speed walking until they are better?

    I would stop for several days (3 - 5 days). If after that time frame you feel pain again, I would stop and rest some more. Shin Splints is a condition that can be tricky to get rid of, depending on the cause and length of inflammation etc. A lot of people make the mistake of trying to push through the pain, which only compounds the problem.
  • MamaMenorca
    MamaMenorca Posts: 22 Member
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    Be very careful with shin splints. I ran two marathons over two years with no problems. When training for my third, I developed shin splints. Ignoring the pain and not wanting to interrupt my training took me to having to take 6 months off running completely (you can still do other things like elliptical, bike, swim, classes). It was not fun. Take a few days off, then try adding only 2-3 days of treadmill and cross train with the bike or something else. Do that for a few weeks and see how you feel. Intervals are good, but make sure you aren't going too fast for your level as that will also contribute to the shin splints. Also, shoes are very important if you are running a lot. Make sure you have the right shoes for your gait. It is easy to get a gait analysis by going to any large sports store or running store. They will have you walk and jog on a treadmill for a few minutes and watch/record how your foot is hitting the ground. Then you can be sure to get the proper shoes and, if needed, inserts for what you require. I personally have 3 pairs of running shoes, two pairs of Vibram Five Fingers (one for indoor one for rough terrain) and a pair of "regular" runners. I also have a pair of inserts that were fitted to my specific foot and tread.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    eat4dathealth wrote: »
    Thank you both for the answers. Does this mean I should stop my regimen for a few days? Or will I still be okay to do something more low intensity like speed walking until they are better?

    If you can use toestraps on the bikes then focus on that for a bit. That'll help strengthen the shin muscle. I'd also suggest some strength training for the legs.

    As well as the overuse issue, that I'd agree with, there are a range of causes of shinsplints, including muscle imbalance.
  • eat4dathealth
    eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I will follow this advice.
  • lloydmccown64
    lloydmccown64 Posts: 1 Member
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    Being a martial artist, shin splints is something I commonly see. Stretching before exercising is the key to preventing or reducing the chances of suffering shin splints. A simple stretch is to cross your legs while standing, keeping your feet as flat on the floor as you can. Then press the back leg against the front leg by slightly bending the back leg. If done properly this stretches the front of the shin reducing the chances of suffering shin splints.
  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
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    1. Stop running and work for 2 months on your leg strength and core strength. Proper running form requires leg and core strength and stability. Squats, deadlifts, leg presses, abductors, walking, you will be amazed at the difference between running strong and simply running for cardio.

    2. Do calf stretches every day.

    3. Before returning to running, get a gait assessment for the right shoes.

    4. Start running with a deliberately shorter stride - more strides per minute - so that you are not heel striking.

    5. Keep doing leg and core strengthening.
  • eat4dathealth
    eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
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    Thank you for the great advice! I really do need to do more strength training in my routine. I'm a cardio junkie but I know the weights are really important as well.
  • Misspinklift
    Misspinklift Posts: 384 Member
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    I had this a week ago. I had to look it online. Your either overusing your legs or haven't gotten the right shoes for it. Also you might be not perfectly balance. Pay attention when your running or walking. How do you run? Are lifting your legs enough? Are balancing on both equally? Are you putting more pressure on one foot more than the other. I had this pain because I was walking for 2 and half hours. I usually do workout videos for my exercise. So my body had a shock.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    How many miles do you have on your shoes? Are your shoes good quality running shoes?
  • eat4dathealth
    eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
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    I really don't have the best running shoes to be honest. My feet are kind of flat so that might be part of the problem too. If anyone has suggestions for good shoes I'd love to hear them.
  • ArvinSloane
    ArvinSloane Posts: 80 Member
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    eat4dathealth wrote: »
    I really don't have the best running shoes to be honest. My feet are kind of flat so that might be part of the problem too. If anyone has suggestions for good shoes I'd love to hear them.

    Everyone's feet and gait are different, so what works best for someone else could be completely wrong for you. Your best bet is to find a local running store in your area that does gait analysis. They will have you run on a treadmill in the store and observe the way your feet strike the ground, and will use that info to help get you in the right shoes for your feet.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    ^^^Yes, this. My feet are kind of flat, with narrow heels and wider ball and toe area. I do well with Mizuno Wave Inspire. It's a mild stability shoe that keeps my foot from rolling in and twerking the knee. Also, to strengthen that muscle, stand with your feet facing forward and raise the toes off the floor, keeping your heels down. Maybe not right now, while you have pain, but after you're healed and as a preventative...
  • eat4dathealth
    eat4dathealth Posts: 40 Member
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    Alright. Thank you guys so much. :)
  • fredericktambunan
    fredericktambunan Posts: 62 Member
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    Shin splints?

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