Shin stretches can prevent medial tibial stress syndrome caused by activities like running and jumping. Stretches can be done while sitting, standing, kneeling, or lying down, and include the ankle stretch, towel stretch, wall raise, and downward dog.
Many people would benefit from doing several shin stretches before workouts that put stress on the shin. Running, jumping, and any activity that requires you to stop and start suddenly can lead to medial tibial stress syndrome, or splinting, which is a painful condition that causes a bruised sensation along the tibia bone. Fortunately, there are many sections that can be completed with little or no equipment. Some shin stretches can be performed while sitting, such as the ankle stretch or the towel stretch. Some can be completed while standing or walking, while others can even be performed while kneeling or lying down.
The towel stretch involves sitting on the floor with your feet stretched out. The next step is to wrap a towel around your bare feet, pulling it toward your body to feel the tension of the stretch in your calves. This position should be held for about 30 seconds and then repeated up to six times. Another shin stretch performed on the floor is the ankle twist, which involves flexing your foot and holding that position for ten seconds. The toes should then point downward, and then left and right, with each position held for ten seconds, one repetition for a total of five minutes per foot.
Making sure the calves are relaxed is a component of many shin stretches, such as the wall raise, which requires standing about two feet from the wall while facing it. Feet should be shoulder-width apart, with hands on the wall. The next step in this stretch is to lower your body until your calves feel stretched. This should be repeated about six times and held for about 30 seconds each time. Walking on your toes with your legs straight, followed by walking on your heels, is another way to stretch your shins and calves before exercising.
One of the most popular shin stretches begins in a kneeling position, with the heels against the buttocks. The next step is to raise your torso slightly while sitting on your heels until your feet are flat on the floor, holding this position for approximately 30 seconds six times total. Finally, some shin stretches, like downward dog, involve starting by lying in the plank position with your back straight and your toes on the floor. As the hands walk back from the front of the body toward the lower torso, the buttocks should rise into the air as the weight shifts from the toes to the heels. The body should form a right angle to the floor, and this position should be held for 30 seconds and done six times to properly stretch the calves.
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