Shin Pain

Question
Hi Sara, my name is Luis and I have been walking for about a month now (3 times a week, about 2.5 to 3 mi per walk). I can't seem to increase my walking pace because my shins get very tight and hurt. Can you tell me how to remedy this?  Thank you,   Luis

Answer
Hi Luis
Congratulations for discovering walking!

What you are experiencing is a spasm in the shin muscle 朼 nasty pain if there ever was one. You say that you experience it when you want to go faster and that makes me think you are on to something.

As we walk faster and faster we will unconsciously-and even consciously, raise our toes higher and higher to accommodate our speed. As you sit there reading this e-mail I ask you to test it right there as you sit: keeping your heel on the floor raise your toe off the floor higher and higher several times and viola! There is that pain again!

That Anterior Tibialis is simply going into spasm because it has not properly warmed up. Here are some tricks to do to properly warm up and avoid the pain in the first place:

1.   Walk slowly for 10 minutes before you pick up speed. If you still get the pain after a good warm up,  you might need to incorporate stretches after your warm up and before your brisk walk

   Do the calf stretch: lunge forward with your right foot and put your hands on a wall/tree/side of a building. Keeping your heels down and toes pointed straight ahead and your left leg extended back with little or no bend and your right knee bent, you should feel a gentle stretching in your calf muscle. Believe it or not this will help with the shin pain! Repeat 3 times both legs.
   Draw circles in the air with your toes

2.   If you resume your fast walk and still get a shin spasm, then you will know that you will need to warm up longer than most of us. Take heart, it will get better and you will be less sensitive with time! I know it totally went away for me and now I only experience the pain if I start out really fast.

3.   One final suggestion: wear walking shoes when you walk-not running shoes. Oftentimes shoe sales people will direct walkers to buy running shoes or cross trainers because 搚ou can walk in anything? Not so! Don't let them trick you. Demand (nicely of course) that they fit you for a good pair of walking shoes and that they carry a good selection. Your feet and body will appreciate a good pair of shoes.

One more thing: Can you help spread the word about walking? We can double the amount of people in America who are physically active if every active person asks an inactive person to join them in their healthy lifestyle!


Good luck Luis!
Sara