What could make me a candidate for shin splints? Beginner runner, not warming up before a run, Hill training (running and overtraining on hills), not enough recovery time between workouts, ineffective footwear, over pronated and supinated feet, rigid arches, weak ankles, a tight Achilles tendon and a stronger calf muscle than anterior leg muscle..
What causes shin splints? Swollen muscles often from overuse or sudden increase in distance or intensity of a workout, stress fractures which are small breaks in lower leg bones, or any of the risk factors above.
What should I do if I get shin splints? If you're unwilling to completely stop working our for awhile try workouts that do not involve as much stress on the shins such as stationary biking and pool running. If you must run, run on soft surfaces like dirt or grass where the impact is lower and be sure to avoid hilly areas also decrease speed and distance. Other things you should be doing is icing the area to reduce the inflammation and take Ibuprofen (Tylenol will take the pain away but it will not work as an anti inflammatory) and Aleve. You can also wrap the area with an Ace bandage or use a compression sock to help reduce muscle movement and thus pain. Do Calf and anterior leg stretching to resolve weak muscles like toe raises and leg presses. If your shoes were the culprit either buy inserts or ditch those shoes and get new ones that are meant for your feet.
You can use these exercises to help strengthen your anterior muscles.
Heel Toe Walking
Toe Raises
Calf Raises
Sources
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