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Prevention from Shin Splints



Individuals involved in running, dancing or military training are easily subject to the occurrence of shin splints. The best way to prevent shin splints is to maintain a well toned and flexed body prior to any form of strenuous physical activity.

• Avid runners should choose the right kind of footwear. Worn out shoes can also lead to shin splints and ruin your exercise regime. It is also worthwhile to invest in insoles that provide an extra padding to cushion your feet while training or running.
• Once you have had a shin splint, go slow on your exercise schedule. Ensuing the healing of the bone tissues, start off with low-key exercises and gradually switch on to faster and repetitive ones. You should also be careful not to increase distance or intensity of the work out too soon, so that the muscles of your body do not succumb to the load.
• An essential and inevitable part of any exercise plan is the warm up and cool down of the muscles. Worked up and warm muscles are in a better position to take in the stress of a rigorous work out. The flexibility provided by stretching your muscles helps prevent any injury while exercising. An equally important aspect to help prevent shin splints is to close an exercise session with a good stretch. This ensures that the tissues and muscles of the body remain supple and strong.
• The surface on which a person runs also accounts for the occurrence of shin splints. A sudden switch to a hard surface from a soft one impacts the muscles of the feet. Give time to your muscles to get accustomed to the surface on which you exercise. For avid runners and aggressive walkers, it is preferable to avoid tilted and rocky terrain, as this can tax the tissues and muscles of the legs.
• Any bio-mechanical issues in your posture while exercising, also needs to be corrected. A motion picture video can rightly point out areas of poor posture and rectifying them at an early stage goes a long way in preventing the setting in of shin splints.
• It is important to stop exercising if pain sets in. Resume activity when the pain has ceased. Rest is the best treatment as well as a preventive measure for shin splints. If you continue physical activity with shin splints, the chances for stress fractures are greatly increased.