Shin Splints: 6 Exercises to Relieve Pain

Treating Shin Splints Yourself

Do you have shin splints—that is, a sharp pain on the front of your shin? There are various reasons why you might be suffering from this condition; one possible cause is wearing the wrong shoes. If you’re looking for exercises to help support the healing process, this video is for you. Our master trainer Stefan will show you how to treat shin splints on your own.

Preventing Shin Splints

Prevention is always better than pain relief. If you take action early enough, you’ll increase your chances of avoiding shin splints altogether.

Here are our top 4 tips for preventing shin splints.

Tip 1: Increase your training volume gradually.

It’s important not to increase your training volume too quickly so that your body can gradually adapt to the strain. A good method is the so-called 10-percent rule. The principle is to increase your weekly mileage or training duration by no more than 10 percent. For example, if you currently run 30 kilometers per week and want to intensify your training, increase your distance by no more than 3 kilometers the following week. This ensures that your muscles, tendons, and ligaments can gradually adapt to the increased strain.

Tip 2: Recovery is the key to success.

It’s advisable to prioritize recovery. Schedule recovery weeks during which you cover fewer kilometers. For example, you could plan every fourth week as a recovery week. Even after an intense race like a marathon, it can be helpful to give your body a break at first and significantly reduce your running volume.

Tip 3: Follow our recommended training program.

At the beginning of this article, you learned about our training program for shin splints. It’s best not to let it get to that point in the first place by doing the exercises outlined here regularly, even if you aren’t experiencing any pain yet. Doing them just 2–4 times a week can make a big difference.

Tip 4: Supplement your running training with other sports.

Running is a repetitive and monotonous movement. If you focus exclusively on running, you’re always working the same muscle groups. That’s why it’s a good idea to choose at least one alternative sport that targets different muscle groups or develops other skills. Try strength training, go swimming, or give yoga a try. In the video below, you’ll find a yoga session designed specifically for runners.

Does Stretching the Shin Help with Shin Splints?

From a purely biomechanical perspective, stretching the shin isn’t the most effective way to relieve shin splints. The reason for this is that the shin muscle tends to weaken anyway.

The calf muscles, on the other hand, tend to tighten and functionally shorten. For people suffering from shin splints, we therefore recommend stretching exercises for the calf muscles.

When stretching, you should focus primarily on the large calf muscle (gastrocnemius), which runs along the back of the lower leg, as well as the smaller calf muscle (soleus) located beneath it. It’s important to perform the exercises precisely and without straining. You shouldn’t feel any severe pain during the stretching exercises. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain should not exceed 6.

Our Master Trainer Stefan demonstrates an effective calf-stretching routine in the following video.

Training the Tibialis Anterior Muscle

Another factor that can contribute to shin splints is a weak tibialis anterior muscle. If this muscle is too weak, it may not be able to handle the unusually high strain while running. This can lead to overuse.

You can strengthen your tibialis anterior muscle with this exercise. Perform 2–3 sets of 15 repetitions per side.

How to Get Rid of Shin Splints Fast – What Helps?

The cause of shin pain can often be attributed to excessive eccentric stress, which leads to irritation of the muscles attached to the bone.

In severe cases, this can result in a recovery time of 2–4 weeks, while the natural healing process typically takes 4–6 weeks. However, it’s important to note that you don’t have to be in pain the entire time, nor do you have to stop running completely.

If you want to get rid of shin splints quickly, you should follow these 2 tips.

Tip 1: Control the swelling.

To reduce swelling and promote recovery, it’s crucial to relieve congestion. This can be achieved through compression and elevating the affected area. The goal is to draw the swelling out of the lower leg.

Compression socks or compression boots can help.

Tip 2: Restore your range of motion.

During recovery, it’s important to perform pain-free movements and gradually increase the load on the shin. This helps restore normal mobility and supports the healing process.

Shin Splints Exercises with the BLACKROLL® TRIGGER

If you have a TRIGGER at home, we’ve put together three complementary shin splint exercises below that you can use to release deep-seated tension in the muscles of your lower leg.

Locate any painful spots and hold the pressure on them for at least 90 seconds or until you feel the tension noticeably ease.

Among other things, stretching your ankle joint can also help prevent such an injury.

Compression stockings or our compression boots can also help prevent shin pain and general leg pain from occurring in the first place.Some studies suggest that such stockings may be helpful in the prevention or treatment of shin splints.