What are shin splints?
Shin splints, or medial tibial syndrome, is a catch-all phrase for a number of ailments that occur in the lower leg. In the mildest cases, shin splints are the inflammation of the fascia (connective tissue) that covers and connects the muscles of the lower leg to the bone (the tibia). In the worst cases, the fascia is under such stress that it actually separates from the tibia, which is very painful and can involve a lengthy healing process.

How are shin splints caused?
The two primary causes of shin splints are:

• Excess impact to the lower legs, primarily created by heel striking (rather than the preferred midfoot strike)
• Overuse of the lower legs (a result of pushing off with the toes to propel forward)

Excess impact to the lower legs
Heel striking occurs when you're running with your trunk upright and reaching forward with your legs as you stride, commonly known as over-striding. With each step, your heel must make contact with the ground first as you work to pull yourself forward with your feet and legs. This sends a wave of impact up your ankles, shins, knees and IT Band with each step.

If you're a heel striker, the repetitive shock of running with your heels hitting the ground will irritate the fascia (the connective tissue) in the muscles of your lower legs, especially your shins. When the fascia becomes irritated or inflamed, you'll feel discomfort and/or tenderness in your shins that can worsen over time if no correction is made.

Overuse of the lower legs
Overuse of the lower legs is caused by pushing off with the toes, which in turn causes the calf and shin muscles to do more work than they are designed to do. Compared to your quadriceps, hamstrings and core muscles, the muscles in your shins (tibialis anterior) are relatively small and can become easily over-worked. In fact, when you push off with your toes, your calves and shins must support your entire body weight while simultaneously propelling your weight up against the downward pull of gravity.

Other ways the lower legs can be overused:

• running too far or too fast before the legs are properly conditioned (a common problem for beginner runners)
• beginning running too fast without allowing your muscles to warm up
• running in old, worn-out running shoes
• extended downhill running
• running on an unstable surface (like snow or ice)
• running on a treadmill
• running on a side-sloping street

How do I prevent and heal shin splints with Chi Running?
The pain of your shin splints might go away with rest, but as soon as you get back to running, the symptoms will most likely return. Most doctors will tell you to gradually strengthen the muscles in your lower legs by running slowly, doing calf raises or walking on your heels. Another common remedy is to ice the shins for 15 minutes three to four times a day to reduce inflammation. With diligence, these treatments can help to heal your shin splints. But, in the big picture, they only provide temporary relief of the symptoms rather than eliminating the issue of impact and/or overuse.

The best solution to prevent the overuse of the lower leg muscles is not to use them, and the Chi Running technique can teach you how:

• Engage the pull of gravity by leaning slightly forward, allowing your lower legs to relax while you run. By falling forward with the pull of gravity, there is really no need to push yourself with your legs.

• Use your legs for momentary support between strides, not for propulsion. Practice this exercise: Stand in place and alternately pick your feet up off the ground. Let your toes dangle loosely while you're picking up your feet, keeping your shins, calves, feet and toes relaxed. You'll see that this minimal style running requires no lower leg muscles. If you can do this while standing, you can easily do it while running. As you're running, remember that all you need to do is pick up your feet (but not push!) to keep up with your forward fall.

• Let your feet land slightly behind your center of gravity, allowing your leg to swing rearward as your foot hits the ground. This is an effortless way to prevent heel striking and encourage a midfoot strike.

With practice, you can learn a minimal style running that never overworks your legs. Think of it this way: if you don't use them, you can't abuse them. Keep your legs relaxed whenever you're running or walking, and your running future will look a lot rosier.

So September has arrived, and the start of a new academic year. With some loss in fitness, it seemed a good time to go back to school myself. So for the last couple of weeks, I have been doing what I tell my students to do, form intervals.  These allow you to focus on particular aspects of your form for one minute. You can alternate between focusing and not focusing, one minute on, one minute off.  I am not currently training for anything and to focus purely on form and not on either distance or speed seems appropriate right now.

The main difference in how I am approaching form intervals is that I do most of the intervals barefoot.  My feet have never liked being in shoes, I have always enjoyed being barefoot since childhood.  Unfortunately, I have spent most of my life in shoes though, and until a few years ago really uncomfortable shoes!  Whilst the shoes companies are busy responding to the desire for more minimalist footwear, and there are countless models out there to choose from; many still fall short in providing shoes with a wide toe box.

If you’ve been reading my blogs you will know that I took a very gradual route to less of a running shoe and now seems like the time to experiment a little without them.  This is not something I would attempt without applying the Chi Running technique's principles or indeed the many running focuses that help to keep my running technique in check.  Feeling the ground allows me to really sense that I land with a midfoot strike and that I must at all costs relax my feet and legs, otherwise it’s going to hurt. It also gives me the opportunity to strengthen my feet and bring my long time damaged foot back to life.  As always, gradual progress is key.

Happy running.
Michelle
 

2. Drink at least 8 oz. of water a half hour before heading out to prevent dehydration. If you're going for longer than a 10K, you might consider taking a water bottle or planning a route that has a water stop along the way. Staying hydrated will keep your legs from cramping, especially in hot weather.

3. You may be tempted to do intense stretching to get warmed up, but try Chi Running Body Looseners instead. Ankle rolls, hip rotations, and knee circles are a few gentle exercises you can do to get your body loose and relaxed without straining cold muscles and joints. See the Chi Running book or DVD for a detailed explanation.

4. Begin running with a very relaxed and easy stride - not too fast. Increase your pace slowly until you're running at your desired level. If you start running too fast, you risk running out of gas early in your workout, and you’ll feel more soreness in your legs afterwards.

5. Track the mileage on your running shoes. At about 500 miles, mid-soles can become too compressed to return to their original shape between runs, and your feet and legs will begin to notice. Be sure to replace your running shoes regularly.

After Running:

6. After a 3-5 minute cool down jog, stretch thoroughly. Don't just jump back into your car and head off to your next event, or you could be walking around with tight legs for the rest of the day. Doing a cool down and stretching period allows the lactic acid (the waste product created by your muscles) to be flushed out into your bloodstream and eliminated from your body.

7. Take a hot bath or relax in a hot tub after your running workout if you can. Soaking your legs warms your muscles and relaxes them back into their normal shapes. A shower doesn't work as well, unfortunately, but it's still good for your legs if a bath is out of the question.

8. Do "leg drains" by lying on your back with your legs extended vertically and feet propped against a wall for 3-4 minutes. This drains the blood out of your legs so fresh, clean blood can be pumped back into them when you stand up. You can do leg drains either immediately after stretching or after your bath. Either way, you'll notice a markedly different pair of legs under you when you get up.

9. If you've just done a strenuous workout, one of your next two meals should be a solid protein meal, which helps your muscles rebuild themselves. Add a hearty green salad and fresh vegetables to replenish your system with valuable minerals.

10. Whether or not you're a regular runner, you should be drinking water all day long. Eight to ten glasses of water spread throughout the day will replenish the fluid lost to exercise. Don't drink your water all at once; just keep an even flow going.

The more time you spend taking care of your body between runs, the more it will reward you with many years of enjoyable workouts. You'll also notice an increase in your performance levels. It's a universal law: the more preparation we put into something, the better the results. The same applies to your pain-free running technique. 

What is pronation?

Pronation is the flattening of the arch when the foot lands on the ground. This flattening aids in balance and provides some shock absorption. As the foot flattens slightly, the ankle tilts inward toward the midline of the body, and the muscles of the lower leg help keep the ankle from rolling too far inward. 

What causes overpronation?

Folks with flatter feet tend to have highly flexible arches, which are more likely to flatten too much. This is known as overpronation. In this case, the foot provides plenty of its own cushioning but does not retain enough of its own structure, so other parts of the leg, such as the medial tibialis (the “shin splint” muscle) and the knee, try to pick up the job of providing support. They aren't designed for this, and when they are overworked, they send pain signals indicating they can't keep doing the extra labor.

Conversely, people with high arches often have inflexible feet which limit the amount of natural motion the foot undergoes as it lands. These people don't get much natural shock absorption in the foot, and the ground forces will once again travel farther up the leg looking for a place to be absorbed, often in the shins, knees or elsewhere. However, not everyone with flat feet overpronate, and those with high arches may also experience excessive inward ankle rolling due to instability in the muscles of the lower leg. 

Just as the structure of the foot can contribute to overpronation, so can poor stride mechanics. Heel striking, leading with your legs, a slow/long stride, or pushing off with the toes can cause excessive motion in the foot. The Chi Running technique reduces these effects by emphasizing a midfoot strike and a shorter, quicker stride, both of which reduce the amount of time the foot spends on the ground and limit the amount of motion necessary to get the foot into position to lift off the ground at the back end of the stride. 

How to correct Pronation

Try introducing the following Chi Running Form Focuses into your workouts:

• Maintain a constant cadence of 170-180 strides per minute (spm) no matter what speed you're running.
• Practice landing with your feet below or even slightly behind your center of gravity (hips), not out in front. This is commonly called a midfoot strike.
• Hold your pelvis level with each stride. This works to strengthen all the connective tissue that runs between the arch of your foot and your pelvis. It's a great way to strengthen and stabilize your ankles.

When you consistently apply these focuses to your running, you'll feel stronger, smoother and more relaxed. Eventually, your feet will possess just the right amount of strength, and motion control will no longer be an issue. 

The 3 new exercises below will help you get a Body Sense of good running and walking posture and act as good check in tools to feel if you’re doing it right.

Posture Exercises:

Walk backwards: This is a great shortcut to get into proper posture. Begin by walking forwards, in your usual stroll. Then, walk backwards for 6-8 steps or more. Almost all of us walk backwards with a balanced posture and shorter stride. Stop and Body Sense your alignment. Don’t let your body change, Practice the one-legged posture stance with this good posture. Go back and forth between legs, holding on to the posture stance you had from walking backwards. Notice, as you move back n forth from one leg to the other if your hip stays relatively quiet, or if they start to sway like Mae West. If your hips sway from side-to-side, your core muscles are not engaged. The swaying of the hips can be the early stage of IT Band Syndrome, and/or hip or knee problems. When you walk backwards notice how your core muscles engage (to keep you from falling backwards),you’re your pelvis rotates back (a good thing) and how your shoulders are more forward than usual. Compare and contrast with your usual walking posture.

Next, while walking backwards start walking forwards without stopping. Try this several times until the transition is smooth. Notice how your posture and alignment change when you move forward. Don’t let it change. Maintain the posture, stride length and core engagement that you had walking backwards. Practice this several times before begin running or walking. If you’re a runner, start running while maintaining the same posture you had walking backwards.

Chi ball: This exercise offers a quick way to get into good posture while standing or walking or running. Start by practicing while you’re standing. Get into your good posture, now lift your arms and imagine you’re hugging a large workout ball, bring your arms up and curl them around the imaginary ball. Feel your posture and let your arms drop maintaining that posture. Keep your knees soft.

While running in first gear or walking at a conversational pace, occasionally hug the workout ball and feel what happens to your spine, core muscles and shoulders. Maintain that feeling while you continue to run or walk and especially if your increase your pace.

Rope around waist: Most people stand and walk with their hips in front of their shoulders, which causes them to land with a heel strike and then pull their weight forward with their legs when they take a step. This exercise teaches you to let gravity do the work by leading with your Upper Body. Have a partner tie a rope around your waist. Your partner should stand behind you as you begin to walk forward. Have them pull lightly on the rope, so that you have to pull a bit to move forward. You’ll notice your shoulders and chest are leading you. Many people naturally lean more with their shoulders if they are going up a steep hill or dragging something heavy. This exercise gives you that feeling. Have your partner drop the rope after a few steps and continue walking forward. If you’re going to run, focus on your feet, and lean from your ankles into first gear, keeping that forward momentum.

Whenever you feel any tension, fatigue, discomfort, or even pain, the first thing to do is check in with your running or walking posture. Practice your running and walking posture as if your quality of life depends on it, because it does.

Related articles:
An Easy Guide to Great Posture
Posture Pure and Simple