Cardio and shin splints

[Typo]

What sort of cardio do most of you guys do?
I normally just do some HIIT running but I've got some real bad shin splints.
They don't hurt when I squat just run.

I havn't done any cardio for a while because of this and need to get back into it but I don't think I can run again for a while

 

[stevesmi]

^^^ dude i was an endurance athlete and i started to get shin splints. they suck! i had tests done, but luckily i did not have to pack the area.. my doc (who was also a runner and was the track doc for the university) told me to rest for 1 month straight then try to come back. i took his advice but no deal.. my shins were really messed up. i kept pounding away on them listening to other runners who said to just run through them. DON'T!! once you get them they will just get worse and worse. you gotta rest them for a while. try resting 1 month and see if they go away. if they are still there take a full 3 months off. or even 6 months off (a doc friend of mine told me this and i balked but he was right, i should of done this but i let my competitive spirit get in the way)

then try to come back again running on grass, dont run on concrete.

try and figure out why you got them before.. it could of been poor shoes, running on hard surface too much, the way you run etc. whatever the problem was you must correct it or they will keep coming back. but please please please DO NOT keep pounding away. correcting the problem and pounding away more isn't gonna work cause the damage has already been done. i still years later have shin problems cause i didn't listen to my body and i fear the problem is now chronic. when you do leg work in the gym that will further hurt them, so maybe lay off calf work for a while too.

good luck.. i had shin splints in high school as well... and they went away after soccer season when i rested.. so that is your best course of action.

DO NOT under any circumstances keep pounding away at them though. i can't stress this enough.

 

[miked8c]

As you know Steve I have been running a few times a week.

I get shin splints. They suck the first half mile than my body realizes its going for a run and they no longer hurt, but I can still feel them. They are on the interior of my shins.


I can't stop running or take time off and since I am not running too much I think they are getting ample recovery. I feel them when I am walking around now, they don'tr hurt but I can feel them.

I don't have the option to stop running, as you know, because I am in Navy. Do you suggest anything? I know the main point of your last post was to take time off, not really an option for this guy.

 

[stevesmi]

^^^ you can try acupuncture treatments to help alleviate the swelling. apply a lot of heat as much as possible. and after your runs ice it down

also run on grass on flat surfaces. try not to run downhill. your shoes should be well fitting and new, don't run in worn shoes.

when you run try and keep your feet forward, so when you land they are not angled outward, that can strain your shins. and also you should be aware of heel striking when you run, don't do it, that is a fast way to inflame your shins. always land slightly on the front of your foot and keep your strides short like the way a bird runs. kinda like RPM's in a car, you want short strides. record a football game or track meet on tv and watch when they are sprinting how they strike the ground.. they don't land hard, they land on the front of their foot with short quick strides. nfl athletes have god given talent and they naturally are able to glide when they sprint, track stars do as well, but they are also taught to run like that.

and final tip you can try is run barefoot. I have a sneaky suspician that the #1 reason for shin splints is shoes, its just like wearing gloves when you workout, it effects forearm development... well running with shoes might have the same effect on the shins.. just a theory i have cause i worked out with gloves and started to get forearm splints the same way i was getting shin splints, when i stopped using gloves after a few weeks the forearm splints went away. you might want to try running barefoot or get those shoes that you wear which are almost like being barefoot. i think nike sells them.

after you are done with your navy test then stop running and if you need cardio do bicycling instead for the time being and let them heal back up.

 

[miked8c]

when I walk barefoot the pad beneath my toes always strikes the ground first.


I always though I was supposed to jog on my heels although lately I have been striking the ground farther forward on my foot simply because that is where it hurts the least for me right now.


I'll take your advice thanks.

 

[stevesmi]

Running Analysis of Heel Strike versus Forefoot Strike (Same runner, 2 weeks apart) - YouTube

good vid on running technique

 

[pzanity]

I started getting shin splints last month.

They was really bad when playing football on astroturf, I've changed my boots and also purchased some "in soles" and now they have vanished.

The insoles are the way to go, just google them. I bought a expensive spongey pair from prodirectsoccer.com, they can be used in any kind of footwear for any kind of sport

 

[miked8c]

Now what about insoles for running shoes, would that not interfere with the dynamic of the shoe.

Isn't the whole point of a running show to provide the runner with a sole that prevents these kind of things. I'm just a little pissed because I spent $100+ on a pair of Brooks, and I still get splints.

 

[stevesmi]

I started getting shin splints last month.

They was really bad when playing football on astroturf, I've changed my boots and also purchased some "in soles" and now they have vanished.

The insoles are the way to go, just google them. I bought a expensive spongey pair from prodirectsoccer.com, they can be used in any kind of footwear for any kind of sport

dunno if this is an attempted spam but i will say a proper fitted high quality shoe should already come with insoles, you shouldn't have to spend 150 bucks on a shoe and then another 25 bucks on insoles. that is nonsense.

if you get a crappy shoe, then you would need insoles.. trust me i have tried walmart $30 shoes, they are crap. i had blisters after running in them. I get my shoes fitted, there should be a local running shoe store mom and shop type store that will fit you and if you need insoles they will include them free or charge. but the insoles they come with should be ample.

the myth behind insoles is that they provide extra support, but what people don't understand is shin splints aren't a result of lack of support, they are a combination of inflammation, tendonitis, etc. so once you get them and the problem becomes chronic, even if you run with the best shoes and best insoles in the world they aren't gonna go away. trust me i tried EVERYTHING. the only cure is rest.

 

[Typo]

Hey steve thanks for the reply, you made me take the issue a little more seriously. I haven't been paying the pain much respect but I will now.