Shin splints are painful. It is an everyday term used to describe pain in your shins, which’s the front part of your lower leg. The pain can also go along the inside of your lower leg, next to the shin bone. The medical term is medial tibial stress syndrome.
Shin splints are common in runners and other athletes that place too much stress on the shin bone or the muscle next to it. The pain can come on during the activity or just after but it will be severe and enough to stop you from exercising again.
The good news is that shin splints can be treated. They will heal with some gentle exercises and rest. You’ll want to find a physiotherapy near me to identify the best exercises to encourage your shin splints to heal and allow you to start exercising again.
Of course, they say prevention is better than cure and they’re right. There are several things you can do to prevent shin splints from happening:
Stretching Calves And Hamstrings
A simple exercise, such as standing on the edge of a step and moving onto tiptoes and back to the floor level can help you to stretch your calves. You can do this every day and should always do it before you exercise.
There are plenty of other exercises, such as squats and lunges that will stretch your legs and prepare you for your exercise. Doing these stretches and strengthens the calves and hamstrings, reducing the risk of injury.
Increase Gradually
If you haven’t exercised for ten years you’re not going to expect to run a marathon on your first day of training. To succeed you’ll need to build up the training schedule slowly. This is true for any activity. Whether you’re a new athlete or have plenty of experience, never increasing your activity level in big bounds. A gradual approach will prevent injury.
Go For Softer Surfaces
To reduce the risk of damaging your shins and surrounding muscles you need to focus on exercising on softer surfaces. This reduces the impact on your body and the likelihood of injuries.
In other words, ditch the concrete and run on fields, grass, sand, and dedicated tracks. You’ll notice the difference and your body will thank you.
Strengthen Your Feet
The arch on your foot is important to the shock absorb any qualities of your body. Over time the qualities of your arch can change. This can be from trauma, infection, or even a lack of exercise. Unfortunately, this causes more strain on your leg.
You can strengthen your foot and restore your arch by doing an array of simple exercises, such as using your toes to pull a towel toward you while sitting on the floor.
Get the Right Shoes
A lot of people underestimate the importance of wearing the right shoes when exercising. You need to wear shoes that fit snugly and offer appropriate arch support as well as allowing for individual issues such as prolongation.
Getting the right pair of shoes will make a difference to your performance level and reduce the risk of shin splints.
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