The runners worst fear: The Shin Splint

New runners and avid gym goers fear the dreaded shin splints and are common among beginner runners. They are usually cased by an imbalance in the muscles of the lower leg. (The shin muscles are weaker than the calf muscle)

With the proper care they can be treated and/or prevented.

Here's How:

1. Over-striding is one of the major causes of shin splints. Keep the running stride longer in back and shorter in front. Go faster by pushing off more with the back leg.

2. Strengthen your lower leg muscles, the calf (back leg muscle) and tibialis anterior (front leg muscle), with exercises. Toe Raises can help build the shin muscles and improve their strength. (Thus be able to keep up with the calf)

TIP** Toe raises can be done by placing a plate weight on the floor and lie it over you shoe covering your toes. while standing, or sitting, raise your toes lifting the weight higher off the floor. Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.



3. Replace old shoes. Shoe cushioning is exhausted every 500-600 miles. Most of the time they will run out of life long before the soles or the upper shoe. Your old, dead shoes can be a cause to shin splints and plantar fasciitis (a condition that feels like you have bruised your heel) as well as foot and leg fatigue.

TIP** When getting new shoes look for shoes with a low heel. high heeled shoes are bad running shoes. Saucony, Asics and Newbalance are a great brand of runners.

4. If you're running on concrete you can try softer surfaces like dirt or grass, or even sand rather than concrete as the hard surface of concrete can cause a lot of impact on the muscles as well as your joints.

5. Take every other day off so that the muscles can relax and recovery. running is an exercise for the legs so treat them like you are working out any other muscle. No need to overdue it.

6. Ice will also become your best friend as ice will help to reduce the swelling that may be caused by micro-tears in the muscle. Try icing before and after each run.

TIP** A good warm up will help your legs prepare for the run you are about to do. Try jogging at a easy pace to get the blood flowing and your muscles warm before you kick up the pace.

So don't let shin splints stop you from reaching your goals as it is just a stepping stone that can be kicked aside with right remedy and proper training.