How do I stretch the shin muscles? - Project Sports
Nederlands | English | Deutsch | Türkçe | Tiếng Việt

Project Sports

Questions and answers about sports

How do I stretch the shin muscles?

5 min read

Asked by: Alan Burrell

Seated shin stretch

  1. Sit on a chair and lower one knee until it extends in front of the other and the toe extends into the ground.
  2. Gently shift the body weight forward with the toe planted on the ground until there is a stretch in the shin.
  3. Hold for 15–20 seconds, then repeat three to five times.

How do I loosen my shin muscles?

For an easy shin stretch and quick exercise, walk on your heels for a few minutes before exercising. You can then switch it up by walking on your toes. After doing both of these stretches, your shins and calves should feel stretched, flexible, and ready to move.

Why is my shin muscle so tight?

In most cases, shin splints is an overuse injury caused by small tears in the lower leg muscles. Worn-out shoes or lack of cushioning can also contribute to the problem, as can over-pronation and running on hard surfaces.

How do I stretch out my shin splints?


Forward. If that feels easy. And it's not getting a good stretch in there then you can roll over to use the floor to give you some extra stretch. So you can just kind of go up on your toes.

Why are my shins and calves so tight?

Overuse – sudden start/increase in activity or change in activity. Underuse – not moving enough. Muscle wasting (atrophy) – see underuse but also common in older age. Muscle tears – these would also be acutely painful as well as tight.

Why does the front of my shin hurt?

Shin splints occur when you have pain in the front of your lower leg. The pain of shin splints is from the inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your shin. Shin splints are a common problem for runners, gymnasts, dancers, and military recruits.

Should you massage shin splints?

Bottom Line. Yes, a massage does help shin splints. Shin splints affect the deep muscles of your lower legs, and that’s why therapies that involve deep tissue massage will help you recover faster than foam rolling or stretching. You can even give yourself a massage at home for a minor shin splint.

Is walking good for shin splints?

One simple technique for preventing shin splints is heel walking. It’s a quick and effective way to strengthen the muscles on the front of your shin—a hard-to-strengthen area—and you can do it anywhere.

What muscle is in front of your shin?

The tibialis anterior muscle runs down the front of the shin. The anterior tibial tendon lies on the inner-front of the ankle. The muscle and tendon work together to flex the foot upwards.

Can you pull muscles in your shins?

It Could Be Tibialis Anterior Muscle Strain



If you’re experiencing pain anywhere from the bottom half of your leg (also known as your shin) down to your big toe, it’s not only frustrating, but concerning, too.

How can we avoid aching shins?

8 Tips to Prevent Shin Splints

  1. Stretch your calves and hamstrings. …
  2. Avoid sudden increases in physical activity. …
  3. Exercise on softer surfaces when possible. …
  4. Strengthen your foot and the arch of your foot. …
  5. Strengthen your hip muscles. …
  6. Buy new athletic shoes that are right for you. …
  7. Stay at a healthy body weight.

How do you massage yourself for shin splints?

So just placing the ball on the inside of the shin here. And pushing down so aiming for a muscle called tibialis posterior. Here. Working your way from the medial side of the shin.

How do you massage shin splints?

This technique involves applying firm pressure transversely. Across the muscle applying cross frictions to the full length of the muscle may help to stretch the sheath that surrounds the muscle.

How do you strengthen your shin bone?

The bone is going to is going to rebuild. And get even stronger. Okay it's going to fortify it the third drill the third shin conditioning drill is sparring.

How do you stretch your shins and calves?

So really feeling that calf stretch out go ahead and bring the left foot back and switch right foot comes for both feet flat bend that right knee like you're leaning forward into that right leg.

Why do my shin bones ache?

Shin splints most often happen after hard exercise, sports, or repetitive activity. This repetitive action can lead to inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and thin layer of tissue covering the shin bones, causing pain.

What exactly do shin splints feel like?

If you have shin splints, you might notice tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner side of your shinbone and mild swelling in your lower leg. At first, the pain might stop when you stop exercising. Eventually, however, the pain can be continuous and might progress to a stress reaction or stress fracture.

How do you get rid of shin splints fast?

How Are They Treated?

  1. Rest your body. It needs time to heal.
  2. Ice your shin to ease pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours for 2 to 3 days, or until the pain is gone.
  3. Use insoles or orthotics for your shoes. …
  4. Take anti-inflammatory painkillers, if you need them.


Can you get shin splints from not exercising?

As a matter of fact, not exercising is just as likely to cause shin splints. Having weak hip or core muscles can misplace stress, sometimes to the shin.

How long does it take for shin splints to go away?

Shin splints often go away once the legs have had time to heal, usually in three to four weeks. Most people can resume an exercise program after their legs have healed. It takes longer to recover from a stress fracture, so it is best to have shin splints treated early.

Do shin splints ever go away?

With rest and treatment, such as ice and stretching, shin splints may heal on their own. Continuing physical activity or ignoring symptoms of shin splints could lead to a more serious injury.