For athletes that suffer from shin splints, the problem goes beyond simply treating the injury. After complete treatment or what seems like an eternity of rest, athletes still have to worry about the injury occurring again. Correcting the biomechanical errors, strengthening the muscles, and performing occasional massage can help prevent the annoying pain of posterior and anterior shin splints from returning.
Exercises for Posterior Shin Splints
Exercises for posterior shin splints involve strengthening the posterior tibialis and other muscles of the calves and feet. The posterior tibialis serves to plantarflex and invert the ankle. Logically, strengthening this movement will affect the posterior tibialis. Pointing the toes inward and performing calf raises will train the posterior tibialis, as will performing calf raises coupled with simultaneous inversion of the ankle. Strengthening the gastrocnemius and soleus with normal calf raises and bent-knee calf raises can also help with posterior shin splints, as they can help support the function of the posterior tibialis. Finally, simple exercises to strengthen the feet, such as resisted toe curls, can help strengthen the arches, correcting one of the underlying causes of posterior shin splints.
A few muscle activation tricks can also help raise the arches in certain athletes, and are certainly worth trying. Stand with the toes pointing forward, and watch for a rise in the arches of the feet as a positive indicator of usefulness. Activation of the lateral thigh muscles, primarily the vastus lateralis, proves beneficial to some athletes. Gluteal activation can also help raise the arches through a slight external rotation of the leg. For many athletes, simply keeping the toes pointed forward while walking and running can yield benefits compared to their normal waddling gaits.
Exercises for Anterior Shin Splints
Strengthening for prevention of anterior shin splints is significantly easier, as it is far less nuanced than caring for posterior shin splints. The primary goals for anterior shin splints are developing strength and flexibility of the anterior tibialis and its antagonists. The simplest way to achieve all these goals is with a simple routine of isometrics. Strong dorsiflexion of the ankle for 20-30 seconds, for two to five sets, performed a couple times a week can do wonders for anterior tibialis strength. If this is too easy, a resistance band or resistance tubing can be used to make it more difficult.
For the calf muscles, gentle isometrics from slightly stretched positions can develop strength in extreme ranges of motion, which in turn helps a great deal with flexibility. From a very mild calf stretch position, activate the calf muscles such that their plantarflexion balances with the force of the stretch, so that the angle between the foot and lower leg remains constant for the duration of the exercise. Hold the contraction for 30 seconds, and then move on to a deeper stretch position. Three positions, each at a more extreme joint angle than the last, should suffice. The gastrocnemius and soleus are the main muscles to target with straight-knee and bent-knee calf stretch positions, respectively. Volume requirements will vary widely for different athletes, but two sessions a week should make for a reasonable starting point.
Exercises for Shin Splints
A plethora of other exercises can be used to strengthen the muscles involved in both types of shin splints. The key to selecting exercises is to learn the mechanisms that cause the injuries. From here, finding helpful exercises is a straightforward matter.
Sources:
WebMD.com, "Shin Splints (Tibial Stress Syndrome)," (accessed April 24, 2011).
Omid Adibnazari - Omid Adib is a student-athlete with years of experience in fitness training. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and is ...
Join the Conversation