gatormommy07
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2009
Anyone have any good ways to make them stop hurting, and/or prevent them?
Good luck! I just noticed your username, I'm a Gator fan too (UF graduate and I still live in Gainesville) and my youngest son's name is Eli too! Just funny coincidences!!
The guy who fitted me for my running sneakers gave me a great tip. At the time I had terrible shin splints from running in bad sneakers - too bad because they were SO cute. Anyhow, sit down, cross your legs at the knee ( like you're a lady wearing a skirt ) and flex the foot not touching the ground up and down about 10 times. Switch legs and repeat 2 or 3X a day. It works wonders! Great to do when you don't have shin splints as well, it keeps them at bay!
Good luck!
A tip I got back in the 80s worked like magic for me, when I got horrendous shin splints while training for a marathon. I sat on the kitchen counter and hung a 5-lb ankle weight from the front of my foot. Then I did three repeats of 10 times lifting the weight with my toes. I did this on both legs, once or twice a day. Within 10 days my shin splints were history. Now whenever I get the slightest twinge I head to the kitchen with my ankle weight (I only have one as this is all I use it for--lost its mate years ago ).
The explanation the running book (sorry, can't remember which one it was, since it was so long ago) gave for why this works is: they claimed shin splints are caused by an imbalance in the muscles. Running builds up the calf muscles on the back of your lower leg; this toe weight-lifting works the muscles on the front of your lower leg to balance things back out. I have no idea if that's right; I just know it works for me.
ETA: Gator here, class of mumbledy-mumbledy