[thebeautywithin]

I wear heels almost every day to work, usually about a 2" heel but occasionally they may be a little higher. I'm barely 5' 4" so I like the extra height but I've noticed lately that when I get on the treadmill after work, I have more pain in my shins than I normally do. Most days, its enough to keep me from being about to jog or do walk/jog intervals, which I really enjoy.

So, my question is this. Is the pain from wearing heels all day then trying to work out? I'm not very active at this poing (working on that ...) so I don't think its from shin splints. I tried the Couch 2 5k program and during week 2, I just couldn't take it any longer. The pain was pretty consistent no matter what I was doing but definatly was too much to try to run. Could it be that I think I can run faster than I really should? Should I start a walking program instead and then build up to trying to run?

I know its a lot of questions but any advice would be welcome.

[kuhljeanie]

Not sure - I get tendonitis in my feet from wearing heels all day and then running, but not shin splints. I get shin splints from not warming up enough. It takes forever for me to warm up (20 minutes sometimes) but I have to do it or my shins get set on fire, and forget about walking or running for 2 or 3 days.

FWIW!

[Manick]

Sounds like shin splints really... and once they get aggravated it takes a while for them to calm down. Check out your walking/running shoes, sometimes the heel height in a running shoe is too thick for walkers, especially on a treadmill, if you are mostly walking now you may want a "walking" shoe or perhaps try a different running shoe. Make sure your shoes are not too old either and have plenty of cushion. Roadrunnersports.com has been a good resource for me over the years as I have high arches and have a hard time finding proper shoes, they have very helpful staff with lots of sports specific info for proper shoes. You can also just call them to answer questions even you don't buy from them which is nice. Warming up thoroughly is a very good idea too. I find that warming up my muscles takes a fairly long time...I have to wait till I am warmed up before trying to get my heart rate up (which requires moving a lot faster for me and then triggers the shin splints if I try to run too soon) Arnica cream or gel can help alleviate some of the pain. You can use it before you walk and after you walk.

The fitter I am the less I get shin splints, but I've had them LOTS at various times over the years. Trying to run too far too fast is one of the biggest triggers for me. Hopefully you can figure out what works for you!

[TheBabies]

I was having that problem too. I found some really good stretches on the internet, just by googling "shin splints and stretch". My favorite one has me taking a rubber stretchy, putting it around the top of my foot and stretching my head towards my feet (does that make sense?). Doing those stretches every day whether I run or not has eliminated them for me.

[Tomato]

It sounds like shin splints to me, too. I ran into that problem myself. The best exercise for me was to stand by the wall (with my back to the wall, leaning only slightly for support) and lift my feet while keeping the heels on the floor. Repeat ad nauseum. When I had my initial phys. consultation at the gym, the trainer recommended the same exercise.

Make sure you don't increase your level too quickly, I tend to do that since I am impatient. For some reason, I simply cannot walk faster than 4 mph on the treadmill, then my shins start hurting again. I "fooled" my body by jogging at 4.6 mph instead (and then I had a problem with hip joints, but that's another story ). Also, make sure you have good running shoes, that's half the battle.

Good luck!