Guest Post By: STUFTmama
I know many runners who have been plagued with shin splints. I’ve never suffered from them myself and hoping they don’t decide to come visit me anytime soon. Admittedly I’m not the best at doing all the proper warm-ups drills and post run stretches that the books tell you to do, but I do my fair share of cross training, pay attention to my form and wear supportive shoes which has helped prevent the occurrence of shin splints.
Simple steps like making sure you have the proper shoes and stability and shortening your stride can help.
There are some simple steps any runner can take to aid in the prevention of shin splints.
Here are my top tips to prevent shin splints.
- Wear the right shoes. Once I found the right pair of Mizuno shoes and support my running changed. It took a couple of pairs of different shoes to figure out what kind of support I needed for my feet. I’ve always need a little more support than neutral and the Wave Inspires are my go to. Everyone is different though and requires different support in his or her shoes. If you’re uncertain of what you might need, try out the Mizuno Precision Fit. It will put you through a thorough online analysis to find out the right shoes for your needs. Also make sure to replace your shoes in a timely manner.
- Strength train. I’m always reminding clients that they have to strength train to help prevent injury and to help with overall running performance. Strength training for the lower body is just as important as it is for the upper body and core. Add some squats and lunges and balancing moves into your routine a couple times a week.
- Cross train. Try cross training with activities that still help increase your cardiovascular endurance, but are less stressful and place less impact on your lower body. My go-to cross-training activities to still get an intense workout are spinning, the stairmill and pool running. HIIT classes are great too to help build strength in the lower legs, but if you suffer from shin splints they might not be the best idea right off the bat.
- Shorten your stride. I have short legs and take shorter strides by default. Experts say that as runners get faster their stride shortens and that runners should aim to increase their turnover rate.
I hope you don’t have to deal with shin splints and that some of these preventative tips help. All runners know though that at some point or another we’re battling some kind of pain or injury. Take the steps you can now to prevent these from happening in the future.
Kristin (STUFTmama) is a 3:17 marathoner who has completed 19 full marathons. She is an ACE-certified group fitness instructor, personal trainer and physical education teacher. Her five-year-old twin boys keep her busy and she blogs over at stuftmama.com