Just like many other runners, you may find that your shins hurt when you run on the treadmill. Shin splints are common running injuries that involve the tibia, fibula, and the muscles that surround them. Overusing these muscles places pressure on the bones in your shin, resulting in pain and tenderness. Sometimes, shin splints can be so bad that they prevent a runner from running while the injury heals.
How To Avoid Shin Splints on a Treadmill
It’s not enough to just rest to get rid of shin splints. You need to identify problems in the way you run to prevent shin splints from occurring again in the future. It’s possible you may be doing something bio-mechanical to cause this injury, such as rolling your foot too far to the inside or outside when you take a step. However, when you are running on a treadmill at at a zero incline, it actually mimics a slight downhill slant, causing stress to your shins.
Other contributing factors that lead to shin splints may be a lack of cushion on the treadmill (ask us which brands will provide you with the most support), shoes with improper supports, and overtraining.
Tips to avoid shin splints when running on a treadmill:
- Warm Up! get up to speed gradually, beginning with a brisk walk, followed by a light jog, and then begin your run
- Simple foot and toe exercises can prepare you for for running. Toe curls and heel drops in particular can help strengthen the areas that need support. (Check out this article from Runners World)
- Try running in a very slight incline rather than a zero incline
- Crosstraining can avoid treadmill shin splints by helping to strengthen your muscles
If you do experience pain, physical therapy can help you get past a case of shin splints with focused rehabilitation exercises. Physical therapy can help you heal after a case of shin splints, and it can also help you avoid them to begin with. Optimizing your running form and learning what habits can lead to shin splints can help you protect the muscles and bones of your shins.
Contact us at Concepts In Fitness for help in finding the right equipment to make your running as effective and comfortable as it can possibly be. We have two home fitness equipment locations in Saratoga Springs 518-587-7072 and Albany New York 518-452-2727 , providing competitive pricing and exceptional service.