If you happen to’re a runner, shin splints have most likely ruined your day—or thwarted a exercise—at one level or one other. Whereas not a magical cure-all, stretches for shin splints can play an enormous function in heading off the issue (and will enable you to ease the ache, too).

Shin splints are usually thought of an overuse damage, and are sometimes triggered by high-impact actions like working or HIIT coaching, Kat Torre, DPT, CSCS, an RRCA-certified run coach and co-owner of Pure Sports activities Bodily Remedy in Washington, DC, tells SELF. The repeated pressure with these sorts of actions causes stress on the bone and hooked up muscular tissues, which might result in irritation and ache—usually of the “nagging, generally sharp and stabby” selection, Torre says.

You will get them in two totally different spots: Medial shin splints happen on the interior entrance a part of your tibia or shin, whereas anterior shin splints develop on the skin entrance of it. Each varieties are normally linked to a fast improve in exercise or drastic change in it. As an example, in the event you haven’t been working frequently then all of the sudden begin logging 20 miles per week, otherwise you’re hitting hill work laborious whenever you’ve actually by no means achieved it earlier than, that may put quite a lot of pressure on the shin bone and linked muscular tissues, Torre says. (Unsupportive or worn out footwear can play a task too.)

Muscle imbalances (and particularly, calf tightness) in your decrease legs and ankles can even contribute. “The seesaw isn’t even between the back and front, and whenever you pull an excessive amount of in a single route, the opposite can get irritated,” Torre explains. Mainly, in the event you’re working with tight calves, the opposing muscular tissues within the entrance of your legs can turn into overworked and find yourself strained.

In a lot of circumstances, the discomfort with shin splints is not extreme sufficient to push you to get fast medical consideration—say, like with a stress fracture, when ache tends to be extra important and normally persists even whenever you’re not working. Relatively, it’s extra uncomfortable (which might lead you to shorten your runs or cancel them altogether), and it will possibly really feel prefer it simply lingers and lingers.

That’s why having a plan prepared might be key to stopping shin splints of their tracks. And the best one is multi-pronged: The primary half features a stable dose of standard power coaching. The general aim of that is to maintain your glutes, hamstrings, and quads robust sufficient to allow them to take the pressure off your shins and the encircling tendons. You’ll additionally wish to particularly strengthen the muscular tissues within the entrance of your shin, which takes a few of the strain off your tibial bone and reduces ache, Torre provides. Attempt to match strengthening into your exercise program not less than twice per week.

Then there’s the second piece of the puzzle—stretching—which performs an excellent greater function in the event you’re already coping with shin splint ache. Stretching frequently retains your decrease half balanced and takes the additional strain off the entrance of your legs. “So far as upkeep and ensuring shin splints don’t come again,” Torre says, “I can’t emphasize sufficient how necessary stretching is.” Specifically, strikes that concentrate on your shins and calves can play an enormous function in easing discomfort.

Torre recommends incorporating dynamic ankle and lower-body stretches into your working warm-ups and extra static stretches into your cool-downs. Then, two to a few occasions per week, make it a degree to briefly stretch your decrease legs (emphasizing your shins and calves) as a standalone routine, even in the event you simply spend two minutes doing it—consider it as upkeep work.

Undecided which stretches for shin splints are the most effective for preserving the annoying situation at bay? Learn on for some nice ones to attempt—together with some recommendations on how you can slot them into your routine.