| When active and non-active people alike start | | | | You should feel the calf and the muscles along your |
| running, hiking, skipping or aerobic dancing, they will | | | | shin working. Do this about 5 to 10 times to warm up |
| often run into the problem of shin splints. You know, | | | | and cool down muscles. |
| that chronic, throbbing pain next to your shin bone. | | | | Another method for strengthening the muscles |
| What is happening is that the soft tissue covering | | | | around the shin is with a rubber band. Just anchor |
| the shin, called the periosteum, becomes damaged | | | | one end of the band around something stationary |
| from too much use, too soon. | | | | and then hook the other end over the end of your |
| Army recruits often get them as they: | | | | foot. Slowly pull your foot towards you. |
| 1. Are not used to walking; and | | | | By walking on your heels, you can help strengthen |
| 2. Fail to wear in their boots properly. | | | | the tibilias muscle that lays next to your shin bone. It |
| Ice packs and rest can speed the healing process, | | | | takes some balance, so you might want to hold on |
| but like anything else, some preparation goes a long | | | | to something when you start out. |
| way to save on pain and frustration. | | | | After warming up and strengthening your tibilias |
| First, make certain that your running shoes and boots | | | | muscles, stretch out your calf muscles. By loosening |
| fit properly. A simple method is to put the runner or | | | | your calf muscles, you can put less strain on the shin |
| boot on and ram the toe of your boot against a wall. | | | | muscles. Ensure that you warm up first with a short |
| Then, slide your forefinger between the back of the | | | | jog or walk. Then use some slow lunging motions. |
| foot wear and your heel. You should have about a | | | | You can brace yourself against a stationary object |
| finger thickness between the shoe and the back of | | | | like a wall or a tree. Put one leg forward, with the |
| your heel. | | | | knee bent above your front foot. Straighten out |
| You might also want to insert some kind of | | | | your rear leg and square your hips forward. Gently |
| shock-absorbing insoles in your footwear. One | | | | bend and straighten your rear leg until you can hold |
| summer, while instructing a military boot camp, I was | | | | your leg straight without strain. |
| constantly getting back and hip pain from foot drill on | | | | Most of all, start out slow and avoid hard surfaces, |
| the parade square. After sliding my runner insoles into | | | | like concrete and pavement. Some of the old gyms |
| my boots, the pain went away almost instantly. | | | | had wooden floors for a reason. Many gym floors |
| Before you hike or run, you need to warm up your | | | | today are concrete. It is better to train on a wooden |
| feet and ankles. A couple of good warm up and cool | | | | floor with a bit of give to it. If you are running, stay |
| down exercises are to strengthen the "shin muscle" | | | | on the grass, gravel, bark mulch or sand rather than |
| and stretch your calf muscles. | | | | pavement. It is far easier on the joints than hard |
| A simple method is to sit down and cross one leg so | | | | surfaces. What you might lose in speed, you will |
| that the calf rests on top of your other thigh. With | | | | make up in less pain and more progress. |
| the opposite hand grab the toes of the top leg. Flex | | | | Have fun. |
| and extend your foot as you resist with your hand. | | | | |