“Shin splints” is a condition that results with pain in the middle to lower 1/3 of your shins. They are caused by the sudden and strenuous contraction in the calf of your leg, particularly in such activities as jumping on a basketball court or starting a race.

What can you do if you are susceptible to shin splints? The best ways to prevent shin splints are to:

1. Ensure you are performing your activities with proper technique and correcting any poor techniques such as toe-out running. This may be corrected by pigeon-toed walking or running which may also help alleviate strain in the shin area.

2. Stretch the calf muscle. This can be done by first placing your feet shoulder width apart and standing a little more than an arm\’s length from the wall. The toes should be pointed inward at a 30 degree angle from the heels. With a straight back and legs, lean into the wall and hold the stretch for 10-20 seconds. Repeat this stretch 3 times and try to progressively move your feet further from the wall each time to get a better stretch. This exercise takes no time and is a great way to prevent those achy shins.

3. Strengthen your tibialis posterior muscle by doing calf raises with your toes slightly inverted. (30 degrees from heels) Try doing 20 raises slowly (3 seconds up, 2 seconds down) on your stairs at least 4 times a week.

If you already have shin splints, rest is essential. This means NO RUNNING for at least a few days. Hot packs and whirlpool baths applied for 15 minutes twice a day on the entire back of your lower leg may help. Most importantly strengthening, pigeon toed walking and stretching as mentioned above will drastically reduce the pain in your shins.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.