Running Distance
If you are running regularly and your goal is target races such as half marathon and marathon, if you want to increase the running distance, I recommend you to increase this distance carefully. Do not suddenly increase your weekly distance. If you are running a total of 40 kilometers per week, do not exceed a total of 45-48 kilometers the next week. In other words, it would be appropriate to increase between 10-15%.
Stretch
If you’re new to running and you run regularly, your leg muscles may become stiff over time. Stiffening is inevitable especially in the calf (lower back muscle) and hamstring (upper back muscle) muscles. Hardened muscle will definitely cause a problem. Instead of doing short and simple stretches right after the run, you should spend 30-45 minutes in 2 separate sessions a week to loosen this hardened muscle group. Most of the time, the stiffened muscle group comes back to normal with simple stretching-style exercises. Sometimes it may be necessary to use a foam roller. You can watch how to use foam rollers to protect yourself from shin splint from the video below.
If you cannot stretch your muscles enough and relieve their stiffness on your own, I recommend that you seek help from sports physiotherapists.
It is important for beginners to do stretching exercises regularly. Until your body adapts to running sports, you should soften your hard and short muscles and lengthen them.
Characteristics of the Running Surface
Continuously running on hard ground such as asphalt or concrete; It puts a lot of stress on your muscles and bones. To reduce this stress, I recommend running part of your weekly running workout on softer surfaces such as dirt, tartan track, or turf.
Strength
Another way to protect yourself from a shin splint is strength training that you will do regularly. The regions we want to strengthen;core, hip (G. Maximus, G.Medius-Minimus ) quadriceps, hamstring, calf and foot core are the muscles. When creating a strength exercise program, especially the types of exercises that lengthen the muscle should be selected. This type of exercise iseccentric type of exercise.
Lose Weight
If you have a high body weight, if you have obesity, you will be more likely to have a shin splint by placing a greater load on the bones. It is important to lose weight regularly as soon as possible. If you are extremely obese, it may be better for your health to take a walk before jogging.
Shoe
Choosing the right shoes for your feet is essential for running. If you are stepping inside or outside, you should choose your shoes accordingly. You may have shin splints due to the wrong shoe selection. When choosing shoes, I recommend that you seek help from a health professional who is closely related to the subject.
Using Insoles
Your foot structure can be normal, flat-footed or vice versa. Especially flat feet can cause shin splint development. The degree of these pressure disorders can vary for everyone. Running with insoles is often not comfortable. If the foot pressure disorder cannot be corrected with shoes, insoles should be used.
