Cardio is kiiling me! Well, at least my shins!

I really hope someone out there can offer up some help with shin pain. I literally cannot do more than .3 mi. without agonizing pain. Does anyone else get this??Please help!! This is putting a huge strain on my exercise requirements.

do you have any history of injury?

you could have shin splints, which can result from years of wear and tear on your shin area (muscle, ligaments, even compressed nerves) ... or you might be overexerting in that area as of recently. if you don't have a history with this (which might indicate necessity of proper medical treatment) then just try changing your cardio routine. focus on activities which are less stressful to your shins and don't need you to constantly flex your foot 'up' (esp running...)

try elliptical/swimming/rigorous yoga...running and other strenuous lower limb activities should be avoided until the pain subsides and is no longer recurring...

if you do do elliptical, don't set the incline too high either...go for more resistance training :)

i'm no MD but i hope this helps?

on another note, during my elliptical cardio session yesterday i was shooting for an hour - and around 7 or 8 min both my feet feel dead asleep...there was no pain per se but i ended up stopping around 35 min because i didn't want to do too much damage??

anyone have any ideas about what's up? i did low incline and tried putting pressure differently on the feet, but it didn't help at all!

sorry to write an essay!!

I had awful trouble with my shins when I started working out in December. 

I got new shoes (Brooks Addiction) and arch supports/inserts (Superfeet - green) and have had no trouble whatsoever.

I'm not suggesting you should do exactly what I did, but you would be well-served to go to a running store and get checked out for over-pronation or supination.

That is all very helpful information. I wear high heels 99% of my life so that could be it. I think getting the right shoe could help too! I never knew there was so much involved in running shoes. BTW what are shin splints? Every single time I walk anywhere cardio or not, I get this unbearable pain in my shins. Could that be it?

Wikipedia has a good article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints

Some people are more prone to them than others.  I can get them from walking if I wear the wrong shoes.  And yes, it sounds like what you have.  They can get quite painful.  I would suggest you find a different exercise to do for a month or so while they heal.

yup. maybe searching this forum for shin splints would help - it is a question posted many times before.

i used to get them, so be happy that with regular exercise it will go away.

make sure you stretch out your legs weel before and after exercise. not just once, twice. massage your shins by running your fingers firmly up and down each side of the bone - there are tendons in there that need care and a proper warm up before you stress them.

had to do this for a long while when i started, but the discomfort went away with regular exercise.

be CAREFUL...

thats what happened to me... i got shin splints and i tried to run through them... now i have a stress fracture and cant do ANYTHING except upperbody weights until my legs heal. (which they say will be in 2-3 months, but im hoping it will be sooner.)

and for a 6-10 mile a day runner, this suckks. so please be careful!! and if you have shin splints, take about a week off from running and ice them twice a day. try to stay off them as much as possible for that week.

i hope this helps.

I agree with everyone else, it sounds like shin splints.  Be sure to ice for 20 minutes and take an ibuprofen to help with the pain and inflammation.  Then like everyone else has said go for lowimpact workouts.  Biking is another good option that I haven't seen mentioned yet! You don't have to stop doing cardio, but be sure to give your shins a solid few weeks off.  Feel better, I know those can hurt!

Getting better shoes suited for you based on your stance will help. (go to a running store and they can help you)  Also, google "shin splint exercises". There are special exercises you can do to strengthen the muscles and tissues around your shin. 

I referee football and had a very bad case a few years ago. I bought better shoes, suited to me and I have not had a problem since.

Beforesunrise - I totally get sleepy feet on the elliptical.

Try wearing different shoes or losening them - that worked for me, it think there may be a nerve getting caught somewhere.

To repeat a few others - you gotta get good shoes! It's so important. Go to a good athletics store and get them to check you out - they will tell you exactly what sort of shoe you need.

In your stretch out after warm up, either

1) stand straight with relaxed knees, feet shoulder width apart, place one foot out front a little and tap your toes quickly. Do this for at least 30 secs each side - you'll feel it along your shin

or

2) if you can find a safe space, lift your toes up off the floor and walk backwards on your heels for a couple lengths of the room/1min or so.

I'd also recommend cross training - try cycling and swimming - to help build up the muscles which will help with your running.

Original Post by beforesunrise:

on another note, during my elliptical cardio session yesterday i was shooting for an hour - and around 7 or 8 min both my feet feel dead asleep...there was no pain per se but i ended up stopping around 35 min because i didn't want to do too much damage??

anyone have any ideas about what's up? i did low incline and tried putting pressure differently on the feet, but it didn't help at all!

Wiggle your toes around in your shoes while your on the eliptical and try to lift your feet up a little every couple of "steps" 

If you have shin splints, it may help to run on a softer surface like grass or sand. Try to stay away from sidewalks and roads. Some of my pals have also said that their shin splints hurt more when they run on a treadmill. A lot of synthetic tracks are pretty soft now, if you have one you could run on instead.

ah i got your message so late stephiepops, but thanks! it hasn't happened since that day so maybe it was a pinched nerve somewhere along my legs. phew!

thank you floggingsully too - i think i recall trying that but literally nothing helped except stopping. just an off-day for the elliptical i guess :/

I wear almost no heel, ever, but even the tiny bit in my favorite shoes means I have to add a heal cup to my soccer shoes because they are so short. Failing to do so will manifest itself in trouble with my calf muscles or Achilles tendon, so I try to be super vigilant about it.

Heels are evil! I don't care how cute the shoe looks, it is NEVER worth it to me.

Google on  "shin splits".  That sounds like what you're experienceing.  Ice does wonders.

OOh man...I feel your pain.  Shin splints SUCK!  I used to get them at the beginning of every football season.  I'm afraid the only way to get rid of them is time and ice. 

I re-added wogging to my workouts 2 months ago after a 3 yr layoff due to knee problems (losing 20+ lbs has helped too) and the first time out I got shin splints. Then I found an exercise on the RunningAHEAD web site that helped me quite a bit.

Stand pigeon toed and do heel lifts. Do 20-30 lifts a couple of times/day - at least that's what I did the 1st week. I also do them before and after each walk and sometimes while shopping with my wife. According to the post on RunningAHEAD shin splints are from using the font of the calf muscle, an area not normally stretched or exercised.

good luck! I have felt your pain!