Anecdotal Shin Splints Cure: Running Backwards
My cross country coach had a lot of “theories” which were of dubious merit. One of the ones which stuck with me the most was his recommendation to run a couple hundred yards backwards at a slow speed as a way to prevent shin splints. I listened to him then, and I have often heard people recommend this as a preventative measure against suffering the pain of shin splints. Be careful though as there are some natural pitfalls if you want to try it out for yourself.
- Make sure you are on a level surface or you risk doing damage to your hamstrings or possibly your achilles with the longer stride your backwards running will create.
- Make sure you are in a clear stretch of ground so you won’t run into any obstacles such as other runners or parking meters.
- Overall, use caution and common sense.
Like most things, your results may vary. Some people swear by this but I can’t say it’s helped me do anything but look a bit silly while warming up for a 5 mile jog.
