Anyone who has experienced shin splints should expect to benefit from learning how to avoid shin splints. Although shin splints are typically not a serious injury, they tend to be painful enough that most people would be happy to avoid experiencing them again, if at possible.

There are several things that can be done to reduce the possibility of occurrence, or re-occurrence. The first, obvious thing to do is to choose the right pair of shoes. While you can look at several stores and check prices, you should expect these shoes to be somewhat expensive. Shoes that fit well, with good tread and excellent support are vital to protect your feet. The cushion in the average running shoe is only about 500 miles, but may not show evidence externally until much later, so you may want to keep track of your mileage..

Running on a firm surface is a good idea and you obviously don't want to slip. However if you were to alternate the ground that you run on, you might observe changes in the muscles of your feet after some time. Your muscles will adapt to new surfaces and you may not receive the full benefits of running. In addition, you may be more likely to injure yourself on concrete, as it does not have any "give". Therefore, the use of asphalt or grass instead of cement while running would be beneficial to most runners.

Anyone who exercises should always take the time to properly warm up. Besides performing these exercises prior to running, similar exercises can be done after the run is complete. If the muscles near the shin are still tight while running, it can easily result in shin splints, and stopping vigorous activity too quickly could cause injury as well.

The human body is comprised primarily of water. Although people should be well hydrated at all times, this is especially true during periods of intense exercise. Lack of hydration is a frequent cause of dizziness, headaches, confusion and muscle cramps. Any of these can result in injury, and could delay noticing a shin spur.

Finally, while running, if you notice pain, you should stop or slow down. The body will often give warning prior to muscle injury, and pain is an obvious symptom. If it continues to bother you, you may want to consider only running every other day, to allow for further healing. When learning how to prevent shin splints, one or two ideas may work better than others. As long as you don't begin to feel that familiar pain, you will know that what you are doing is working for you.