Our Warm-ups

Our warm-up drills.
(To Stave off Shin Splints!)

Toe Taps 

• Tap with your entire foot not just your toes.

• Tap consistently and rapidly for 30 seconds.

• One can tell the exercise is being done right if one feels the anterior tibialis (shown on the right) feel tight towards the end of the 30 seconds.

• During our warm-ups, we do these standing, but you can also do them while seated with your legs at a 90-degree angle.

• This exercise helps strengthen and warm-up the muscles around the shin which helps prevent and recover from anterior shin splints.

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Calf Raises

• Using your calves raise your body onto the balls of your feet.

• On your way back down keep control and left your heels down slowly,

• Make sure not to swing up during the exercise.

  • One way to avoid swinging is to never fully touch the ground with your entire foot.​

• Perform 20-25 calf raises during this exercise.

• This exercise helps strengthen and warm-up your calf muscles. 

 

Duck Walks

• On the way out while mainly on your heels point your feet outward and your toes up to the sky.

• On the way back do the same except point your feet inward.

• Please note this is not just walking with your feet pointing outwards/inwards.

• You will know you are doing this exercise correctly when you feel the tension in the muscles around your shins.

• This exercise helps strengthen and warm-up the muscles around the shin which helps prevent and recover from anterior shin splints.

 

Walking Backwards

• When performing this exercise it is critical that one walks back from toe to heel, using the whole foot.

  • Imagine it is as if your foot is curved like the bottom of a rocking chair.

• It is also important to walk slowly and in a straight line.

  • The goal is for it to be difficult to balance.​

• Walking backwards slowly activates all of your lower leg muscles as they work to help you maintain your balance.

  • This improves your balance and activates your posterior chain muscles that are critical as a runner.