Shin splints

[pinkychique]

This is what I've been told too:
1.Stretch your calves!!!! I keep getting yelled at to do this, and when I remember to it really makes a HUGE difference!
2. Wearing birkenstocks makes everything amazingly better...this little tip was told to me by a doctor that I know.
3. Get a tennis ball or something similar, and put your leg up on a table on top of the ball, and use it to work out the knots, all the knots and tightness in your lower legs are related, so working out other ones should help the shin splints.
Good luck!

On the IT: (I have it too) do 1/4 squats (one legged tiny squats) to even out the strength on your legs, and stretch your hips and do a stretch like Revolved Triangle, and use a frozen big water bottle to massage out the IT by putting it on the ground and rolling over it (it really hurts but it does the trick!!).

[OakLeaf]

use a frozen big water bottle to massage out the IT by putting it on the ground and rolling over it (it really hurts but it does the trick!!).

That doesn't sound right. Stretching with ice? I'm just a group fitness instructor, but we're taught NEVER NEVER NEVER stretch a cold muscle. PTs?

[pinkychique]

No, not stretching with Ice, I didn't mean that. That's bad. Do them both but not in combination.

Make sure you're nice and warm BEFORE you stretch.

[VeloVT]

yup, wearing bike shoes around campus all day was the problem. I started carrying my comfy Nike XC flats around in my backpack and changing shoes after my ride, and now the shin pain is completely gone. Thanks!!!

(guess I should have known better in the first place ...).

[Wahine]

That doesn't sound right. Stretching with ice? I'm just a group fitness instructor, but we're taught NEVER NEVER NEVER stretch a cold muscle. PTs?

The rolling technique is actually a myofascial release and not technically a stretch, so it is safe with ice. Ice has been shown to increase the extensibility of collagen tissue so some people argue that this is a really good thing to do. But.....Yes you should never stretch a cold muscle.