8 Exercises to Reduce Shin Splint Pain

It happens all too often. You start spending more time on the treadmill, logging more miles, and right when you get into a rhythm, you get derailed by an injury. This injury isn't one that takes you out completely, but it is a nagging pain that pops up after only a few miles of running. You can't seem to rest it enough, and eventually, it causes you to change your training schedule or back off the cardio altogether.

More likely than not, you have shin splints.

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries runners experience. It’s that nagging pain in your lower leg that can be the result of small stress fractures of the shin, extremely tight muscles, or overuse and repetitive stress. The causes of this pain can range from increasing the mileage or frequency of your runs too quickly to a weakness in your core or hips.

If you have pain in your shins when you run, your first course of action is to avoid running on hard surfaces, reduce the frequency of your runs and your weekly mileage and warm up properly. Beyond those three things, stretching and strengthening the feet, lower legs, hips, and core is your next alternative.

So where do you begin? These eight stretches and exercises only take 15 minutes and will help to reduce your current pain and prevent shin splints in the future.

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CALF SLEEVES can support quicker relief from shin splints.

About the Author

Stephanie Main 

Stephanie Main is a certified yoga teacher, CrossFit coach, writer and creator of Endure Yoga. She's based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she works at CrossFit Marin and Yoga Flow SF. She is a 500-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, a CrossFit Level 2 Coach, a CrossFit Mobility Trainer, a Team ICG Indoor Cycling Instructor and has her CPR/AED Certification. You can find Stephanie on her Endure Yoga website or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Stephanie Main is a certified yoga teacher, CrossFit coach, writer and creator of Endure Yoga. She's based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she works at CrossFit Marin and Yoga Flow SF. She is a 500-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, a CrossFit Level 2 Coach, a CrossFit Mobility Trainer, a Team ICG Indoor Cycling Instructor and has her CPR/AED Certification. You can find Stephanie on her Endure Yoga website or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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