Shin Pain when Running on Treadmill

(Lancashire)

I am a 30 year old lady who is rather unfit and overweight 14 stone 10 pounds and I want to lose weight and get fit by running.

Unfortunately I get shin splints, pain going down the outside of my shin from just below the knee down.



I warm up correctly and don't have the problem if I use the cross-trainer so I think it is simply my weight that is causing the problem.

So my question is should I abandon all hope of running until my weight is lower or is there anything I can do to stop the pain and continue to run?


Answer by Dominique:


Hi there,
Thanks for your question about running when overweight and running with shin splints.

Running with an injury is never a good idea. Apart from tiredness and some muscle pains/muscle stifness your running should be a quite enjoyable experience. It is clear that under the current circumstances, your running is not exactly helping you.

When you have an injury it is better not to run. Try any type of cross-training to stay or get fit in the mean time.

One thing that is not exactly clear is whether you'd be able to do anything about this issue with a change of shoes or even a change of running technique and/or pace. I am not convinced that it is just your weight that is causing the shin splints.

If you don't have the problem when walking, then I would advise to consider a run/walk program in which the running is only just a bit faster than walking, i.e. a very gentle jog.



In addition to that try to find a park or other grassy area where you can run on softer surfaces and see if that makes a difference.

Running is a great way to lose weight, so I would also suggest going to a specialized running shoe store. Explain your issue and see if they can help with providing a pair of shoes that is right for you. The right pair of running shoes can do wonders to your running experience.

Good luck with your weight loss journey. I hope you'll be able to incorporate running into your life.

Best of luck.
Kind regards,
Dominique