Shin splints are a particularly common injury for newbie runners – and that can make them all the more frustrating. 

Just when you’ve begun to look forward to the idea of lacing up your trainers and heading out the door, you’re experiencing sharp pains spreading across your lower leg and being told that the best way to recover is to simply stop doing the activity you’re growing to love.

Developing shin splints later in your running career is never ideal, either. Whether you’ve been running for years or have just started, you’ll know that running isn’t just about maintaining a good level of fitness – for many of us, it’s an opportunity to clear our minds and boost our mental wellbeing. But when you’ve developed an injury that stops you from running, it can be hard to know where to turn.

One thing you don’t want to do is make things worse and delay your recovery even further, so trying to keep up with your usual running schedule by grimacing through the pain definitely isn’t worth it. 

But is it possible to run at all when you’re trying to heal from a shin splints injury? And if not, what other forms of movement can you do in the meantime? To find out more, we asked Steph Davis, a coach at the running app Runna and British Olympian for her advice. Here’s what she had to say.

It’s the question we’ve all been waiting for an answer to – is it ever OK to run when you’ve got shin splints or will that just make the problem 10 times worse? If you were hoping for the go-ahead, we’ve got some bad news.

“It is best to nip your shin splints in the bud and get to the bottom of what is causing them, so for long-term success, it is best to take some time away from running to let your shin pain reduce,” Davis explains. “A 2022 review of data conducted by the Cureus Journal Of Medical Science found that most incidents of shin splints resolved themselves with rest and avoiding repetitive impacts.”

OK, so the bad news is that running probably isn’t the best idea when you’ve just developed shin splints, but the good news is that rest has been proven to work. During that rest period, you’ll need to work out what’s been causing your shin splints – the common causes include overuse, poor running technique (overstriding, heavy heel striking), poor recovery and a lack of strength.

Once your pain has reduced, you can think about reintroducing running to your schedule, albeit with adjustments in place to prevent the same problem from happening again.

“Once your pain has subsided, look to gradually build back into running with some easier runs until you are able to run comfortably without pain,” Davis suggests. “The faster you run, the more load you put through your shins, so stay off speed work until you are back up to your usual volume at an easy effort.”

If you’re worried about injuring yourself again as you start running, then Davis recommends using the ‘traffic light system’ to measure your pain levels. 

“On this scale, no pain is a zero and maximum pain (where you would be unable to walk) is a 10,” she says, adding that amber pain sits anywhere between 3/10 to 5/10. “If you get any pain in amber or red, it is advised that you stop running as this will likely delay your recovery.” 

Running with shin splints might not be a good idea, but you can still exercise while you recover – you just need to opt for some low-impact forms of movement.

“You can still keep very fit with non-impact exercise such as swimming, rowing, cycling or using an elliptical,” Davis says. “The main thing to avoid, in addition to running, are any high-impact sports, such as tennis, football, netball or hockey. Taking some time out from pounding the pavements, pitch or court will help to settle the inflammation.”

On top of any low-impact exercise you do to maintain your fitness during shin splint recovery, you can also use specific exercises to help your recovery and improve your strength.

“Often one of the causative factors in shin splints is a strength imbalance, so working with a good coach or functional movement specialist can help you to address specific strength imbalances around the ankle, knee and hip complexes while you ease off running volume,” Davis says.

Of course, we don’t all have the budget to work with a coach – but there are exercises you can do at home to help strengthen your ankle, knees and hips from home. You can find two simple exercises below: 

Standard calf raises

This exercise will strengthen your calf and give it a nice stretch. While you are not running, Davis recommends doing this two times a day, doing three rounds of 10-15 reps each time. Once you are able to do this comfortably, you can progress further by adding additional weight.

1. Stand with your toes on a step or bench, letting your heel hang off the edge – make sure you are holding on to something for balance
2. Begin with a double-leg stance and eventually progress to a single-leg
3. Push up for three seconds and back down for three seconds, and keep this momentum going

Seated soleus calf raises

Your soleus is a long thin muscle that runs underneath and behind your gastrocnemius (the large obvious calf muscle that can be seen). During this exercise, try to feel the strain in the lower half of your calf. Once you can do this comfortably (cramping is normal, by the way), you can add load by placing a small dumbbell or kettlebell on top of your knee or by increasing the number of reps you complete.

1. Start in a seated position with your knees level with your hips and your feet underneath you (you should have a 90-degree angle at your knee)
2. Starting with your right foot, slowly drive your knee up until you are on your tip toes
3. At the top of the movement squeeze your calves
4. Complete 10-15 slow smooth reps on your right leg before switching to your left

Images: Getty