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Shin splint exercises
Body Part:
Shins
Equipment:
Mini & Midi Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
When the Shin Hits the Fan: 10-Minute Shin Splint Exercises
Shin splints. It’s the searing burn along the lower leg that causes runners remorse, athletes angst, and is even the bane of ballet dancers. Shin splints – also known as medial tibial stress syndrome – are a very common overuse injury among athletes who run and jump.1) We’ve developed a 10-minute home exercise routine that will help you battle the burn so you can dash distances and keep enjoying your runner’s high. All you need is our Mini Foam Roller, Midi Foam Roller and a wall or a chair. Scroll down to follow along with our video, or keep reading to learn about the what, why, and how of shin splints.
What Are Shin Splints?
The term shin splints refers to pain along the front of the leg between the knee and the bottom of the shin. Shin splints occur when your feet land too hard on the ground, and your muscles and bones can’t support the force of the impact. There are two types of shin splints:
- medial shin splints, which is pain along the inside of the shinbone,
- and anterior shin splints, which is pain along the outer side of the shinbone. (If you have a severe case of shin splints, you might experience pain on both sides of the shinbone.)
What Causes Shin Splints?
Shin splints are caused by overworking your shin, usually during running, playing sports, or an activity that requires jumping. The repetitive stress of these activities pulls the calf muscles and connective tissue, causing inflammation.
Flat feet may also cause shin splints. The arches in the foot act as shock absorbers. If you have low or no foot arches, the shin is forced to absorb more of the impact when your foot makes contact with the ground.
If you suddenly increase the intensity or frequency of your exercise or resume exercise after a long break, you may develop shin splints.
Runners are at risk for shin splints if they aren’t mindful of their form, don’t stretch before and after running, wear shoes that aren’t supportive, or run on surfaces that are hard or uneven.
What Are Symptoms of Shin Splints?
The most common sign that you have shin splints is pain along the lower leg. The area may feel sore, be tender or swollen. The pain along your shin may stop after exercise, or it may continue.
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Your Personal Pain Scale
While you are exercising, pay attention to your personal pain scale. This is your body's gauge that measures the intensity at which you exercise from 1 to 10.
One would be like pushing your finger into your forehead. You'd feel a little pressure, but that's it. You've gone above a 10 if your breathing becomes irregular or you feel yourself tense up. For each exercise, aim for an intensity between 8 and 9. If you find that you are experiencing pain that's higher than 9, reduce the intensity so you can continue exercising without pain.
Exercises to Relieve Shin Pain
Exercise 1: Interior and Exterior Foam Roll Massage
For this exercise, you’ll need our Mini Foam Roller.
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees at a 45° angle.
- Place your Mini Foam Roller on the affected leg at the bottom of your shin.
- Angle the Mini Foam Roller so that it’s on the outside of your shin bone.
- Apply enough pressure to the Mini Foam Roller so that you are between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale.
- Slowly roll upwards in the direction of your knee.
- Roll for about 1 minute.
- Repeat 2-3 times.
- Repeat the massage along the inside of your shin bone.
- Repeat the entire foam roll massage on the other leg if necessary.
Looking for a more intense variation of this foam roll massage? Get your Midi Foam Roller and try the variation below.
Variation
- Get down on your hands and knees.
- Place the Midi Foam Roller at the bottom of your affected shin so that your shin bone is resting in the groove of the Midi Foam Roller.
- Apply enough pressure to the Mini Foam Roller so that you are between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale.
- Using your hands, walk yourself backwards so that the Midi Foam Roller is rolling in the direction of your knee.
- Roll for at least 1 minute.
- Finish and repeat on the other shin if necessary.
Exercise 2: Shin Stretch
- Place your hands on the back of a chair or on a wall.
- Stretch your left leg straight behind you so that the tops of your toes are on the floor.
- Lock your knee. You’ll feel a good stretch along your shin.
- To intensify the stretch, bring your foot closer to the chair or wall.
- Hold for 2 minutes.
- Slowly come out of the stretch and shake your leg.
- Repeat on the right leg.
Get your shin together.
Perform our shin splint exercises for an initial sprint of 6 days a week for 3 weeks. After the initial sprint, adjust the frequency according to how your shins feel.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Winters M. (2020). The diagnosis and management of medial tibial stress syndrome : An evidence update. Diagnostik und Therapie des Schienbeinkantensyndroms : Update zur Studienlage. Der Unfallchirurg, 123(Suppl 1), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00113-019-0667-z.
Fight Pain with Information.
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Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.
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