Why You Keep Getting Shin Splints When You Run

You finally get back into walking or running.

The weather is better, you feel motivated, and for the first time in a while, it feels like you are doing something good for your body.

Then your shins start to bother you.

At first, it is just tightness.

Something you can push through.

Then it becomes more noticeable. It shows up earlier, lingers after, and starts to affect how you move.

Now you are thinking:

Do I need to stop?

Am I doing something wrong?

Why does this keep happening every time I try to get consistent?

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.

This is one of the most common things we see when people start walking or running again.

What Are Shin Splints?

What most people call shin splints is medial tibial stress syndrome.

It is an overuse condition where repeated stress is placed on the tibia and surrounding tissues faster than your body can adapt.

This is why it typically shows up when:

• You return to walking or running after time off

• You increase mileage too quickly

• You add intensity or frequency

This is not a one-time injury.

It is your body telling you that the current demand is greater than your current capacity.

Why It Keeps Happening

Most people assume shin splints are just from doing too much.

So they respond by resting or stretching their calves.

Some of that may help temporarily.

But if you have dealt with this before, you already know it usually comes back.

That is because the real issue is not just tightness in your calves.

It is how your body is handling force with each step.

A Force Distribution Problem

Every time your foot hits the ground, force travels up the chain:

Foot → tibia → femur → pelvis

Your body is designed to absorb and redistribute that force through coordinated motion, especially rotation.

During the gait cycle:

• The foot pronates to absorb force

• The tibia internally rotates

• The femur and hip follow to allow smooth load transfer

This is normal.

This is necessary.

But when this system is not working well, force does not move efficiently.

It gets concentrated.

And for many runners, that concentration point is the tibia.

Where Things Break Down

• A stiff foot limits your ability to absorb force

• A tibia that cannot rotate increases stress on the shin

• Poor hip control prevents force from being transferred efficiently

Now combine that with an increase in running volume or intensity, and the tibia starts to take on more load than it can handle.

That is when shin splints show up.

What You Should Do About It

If you want to prevent or eliminate shin splints, you need to address both:

How your body moves

How much you are asking it to do

1. Improve Mobility

You need the ability to absorb force before you try to produce it.

Here are some exercises that we use:

• Lacrosse Ball to the Plantar Fascia (video)

• Tibial Internal Rotation Mobilization on Foam Roller (video)

• Ilia Roll on Foam Roller (video)

These help to restore how your lower leg interacts with the ground.

2. Build Coordination

Once mobility is there, your body needs to use it.

Focus on:

• Sidelying Hip Shift (video)

• Fencer Squat (video)

These help coordinate how the foot, tibia, femur, and hip work together during loading.

This is what allows force to move instead of getting stuck.

3. Progress Volume Appropriately

Even with good mechanics, doing too much too soon will still create problems.

Start slow and short.

Build gradually.

A simple guideline is to increase running volume by no more than 10 percent per week.

Consistency builds capacity.

Spikes in volume break it down.

4. Choose the Right Shoes

Shoes influence how your body interacts with the ground.

Different brands and models are built for:

• Different foot shapes

• Different arch types

• Different demands

If you are unsure what is right for you , go to a specialty running store like Runner’s High or The Outpost.

Getting this right can make a meaningful difference in how force is distributed with each step.

The Bottom Line

Shin splints are not just about running.

They are about how your body handles load.

If your movement is inefficient and your volume increases too quickly, the tibia ends up doing more than its share of the work.

When you improve how your body moves and build capacity over time, the problem usually resolves.

If you are dealing with shin splints or trying to avoid them as you get back into running, this is the time to address it.

At EVO, we assess how your body moves, identify where force is breaking down, and build a plan that allows you to run without setbacks.

Click here to book a Discovery Visit.