Hi all! (It's been a while since I've actually posted here, usually I just lurk).

A couple weeks ago after I had started doing 1/2 hr of walking/jogging on the treadmill every day, my shins started hurting quite a bit and I found out I probably had gotten shin splints.

Since then I have had the flu, so I haven't been exercising except for doing some yoga, but I want to start doing cardio again.

My question is--

How should I ease back into cardio without hurting my shins (it's been almost 3 weeks now!)? I bought some great running shoes (I have flat feet) so that wouldn't be the problem.

Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I get shin splints all the time and I place soccer on a regular basis. Great running shoes help a little bit but if you have flat feet you will probably need to get some insoles that lift your arches as this is wear the problem is stemming from. Speak to a physiotherapist or podiatrist, they will point you in the right direction for what will suit you best.

Most definitely check your shoewear, at a proper running store. Inappropriate shoewear is one of the most common causes of shin pain in runners. Watch your distance and times, and don't increase either too quickly, 10% per week increase in inexperienced runners/walkers. Back off on the treadmill until the pain goes away, don't try and "run through it". It will get worse if you do this. I would suggest non weight-bearing activity (ie stationary biking or something like that) for awhile. Good luck.

Good advise... IF you do get more shin splints ice them after your workout...

Blueberrie,
I have flat feet too. I wear Brooks Ariels. I ended up with an injury a year ago- sort of a severe kind of shin splint. I went to physical therapy and I found exercises that will strengthen those muscles that overcompensate because I don't have arches. I don't get shin pain like I used to, and I only spend about three minutes a day doing the exercises. I don't know if I can post the link that has the exercises so I will paste a couple of them
(1) Wall Shin Raises: Simply stand with your back to a wall, with your heels about the length of your feet away from the wall. Then, lean back until your buttocks and shoulders rest against the wall. Dorsiflex both ankles simultan-eously, while your heels remain in contact with the ground. Bring your toes as far toward your shins as you can, and then lower your feet back toward the ground, but do not allow your forefeet to contact the ground before beginning the next repeat. Simply lower them until they are close to the ground, and then begin another repetition. Complete about 12 to 15 reps.
Once you have finished the reps, maintain your basic position with your back against the wall, dorsiflex your ankles to close to their fullest extent, and then quickly dorsiflex and plantar flex your ankles 15 times over a very small range of motion (smaller than the nearly full range you use for the basic reps; the emphasis here is on quickness). These short, quick ankle movements are called pulses.
As you gain strength over time, make the wall shin raises progressively more difficult by advancing from one set of 15 reps to two and then three sets of 15 (for the basic raises and the pulses). It's okay to walk around for 15 to 30 seconds between sets.
Once you can quite comfortably complete 3 x 15 of the double-leg raises (both basic and quick), progress to the single-leg wall shin raise. The basic position for this exercise is as before, except that you begin with only one foot in contact with the ground; the other foot rests lightly on the wall behind you. Now, full body weight is on one foot - as it is during running - as you carry out the overall routine, and the exercises are considerably more difficult. Begin with 12 to 15 reps per foot (both for the basic exercise and pulses), and progress to 3 x 15 (basic and pulse) on each foot as your strength increases. There's no need to rest between sets; simply carry out 15 reps on one foot plus pulses, shift over to the other for 15 repetitions and pulses, return to the original foot, and so on until you have completed three sets with each foot