Shin splints exercises at home

What causes shin splints

The clinical name is medial tibial stress syndrome. It shows up as a dull ache along the lower inside of the shin, often over a strip several centimetres long, that's worse during or after running. It's very common in new runners, people returning after a break, and anyone who suddenly adds distance, hills, hard surfaces or jumping.

The bone and the muscles attached to it are being loaded faster than they can adapt. That's why the two big levers are load management (doing a bit less, for a while) and building calf, foot and shin strength so the leg can handle more later.

Step one: adjust the load

• Cut running volume, typically by half or more, or switch to cycling, swimming or walking for a week or two while it settles.
• Avoid hills, hard surfaces and speed work for now.
• Look at what changed. New shoes, a new plan, or a sudden jump in weekly distance is often the trigger.
• Ice or heat for comfort is fine, but it won't fix the cause on its own.

Stage 1: mobility and the foot

Start with these daily while you're running less.

1. Straight-knee calf stretch. Hands on a wall, back leg straight, heel down. Lean in until you feel the upper calf. Hold 30 seconds, twice each side.
2. Bent-knee calf stretch. Same position with the back knee bent to reach the lower calf. Hold 30 seconds, twice.
3. Ankle alphabet. Seated, trace the letters A to Z with your big toe. Once each foot.
4. Towel scrunches. Seated with a towel on the floor, scrunch it towards you with your toes. 2 sets of 10. This wakes up the small muscles in the foot that help absorb impact.

Stage 2: strength for the shin and calf

1. Toe raises. Stand with your back against a wall and feet a little forward. Lift your toes and the front of your feet off the floor, keeping heels down, then lower. 3 sets of 12. This works the muscle at the front of the shin.
2. Double heel raises. Holding a counter, rise up over 2 seconds and lower over 3. 3 sets of 15.
3. Single-leg balance. Stand on one leg for 30 seconds, 3 times each side. Eyes closed or on a cushion once it's easy.

Stage 3: single-leg and impact prep

1. Single-leg heel raises. Build to 3 sets of 15 on each leg with full range. Many running coaches see 20 to 25 good single-leg raises as a sign the calf is ready for more running.
2. Bent-knee heel raises. Knee slightly bent to work the soleus, the calf muscle that takes most of the load in running. 3 sets of 12.
3. Small hops. Only when everything above is pain free: two-footed hops on the spot, 3 sets of 20, landing softly. Then single-leg hops.

Returning to running

Start back once you can walk briskly, hop on each leg and do your strength exercises without pain. Begin with a walk-run plan, for example 1 minute running and 1 minute walking for 20 minutes, every other day, on a flat soft surface.

Build by small amounts each week. A common rule of thumb is to increase weekly running time by about 10 percent, and to hold steady for a week if the shins grumble. Keep two calf and shin strength sessions in your week even when you're back to full running.

Common mistakes

• Running through it and hoping it goes away.
• Resting until it's gone, then going straight back to the old mileage.
• Changing shoes and nothing else.
• Skipping strength work once the pain settles.

Stop and get checked if

• Pain is in one small spot you can press with a fingertip, especially if it hurts at rest or at night. That can be a stress fracture.
• You can't hop on the leg without pain
• The front or outside of the shin feels tight, swollen or numb during exercise and eases when you stop
• Pain is getting worse despite running less

Why strength matters more than stretching

Stretching feels good and can help with calf tightness, but the main reason shins get overloaded is that the muscles and bone weren't ready for the amount of impact. Stronger calves absorb more of each landing, which takes load off the shin. That's why most rehab plans focus on heel raises, especially single-leg and bent-knee versions, and on gradually returning to impact.

Bone also adapts to load, but slowly, over weeks and months. Building up running gradually gives it time to remodel and get stronger. Rushing back is the most common reason shin splints return.

Running habits worth checking

• Overstriding: landing with your foot far out in front. A slightly shorter, quicker stride often reduces impact.
• Running every run at the same pace on the same hard surface. Mix in softer trails, grass or a track if you can.
• Old shoes. Many runners replace shoes every few hundred kilometres, but more important is not changing type suddenly.
• Doing too much, too soon on a new plan. Most beginner plans already build up slowly; resist the urge to skip weeks.

Cross-training while you build back

Cycling, swimming, pool running and the elliptical keep your fitness up without much impact on the shins. Use them to replace some runs during the first few weeks, then reduce them as running increases.

Keeping it going with Apex One

Apex One has a guided shin splints program with these stages, for between physio sessions. In Apex One+, the program talks you through each exercise out loud, times your holds, and asks you to rate pain before and after each session, so you have something concrete to show your physio. The voice counts reps at a steady pace; the camera isn't used for rehab exercises.

Count every rep with your phone

Questions

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