Every week among my private clients and students, there’s usually some sort of theme that develops based on the athlete check-ins and questions raised during my yoga classes. This week, that theme has been calf and shin pain.
And boy do I know how bad that sucks. I’ve struggled a lot in the past with shin splints. I once had them so bad that they developed into a stress fracture in my shin bone … which was closely followed by tendonitis in my anterior tibialis tendon — the ropey strip of tissue that runs over the front of your ankle and up into your shin.
So suffice to say, I’m incredibly sympathetic to what my athletes and students are dealing with. Over the years, I’ve developed a ton of different strategies to help people deal with calf and shin pain — everything from glute activation and strengthening work to ease pain in the Achilles to yoga practices designed to compress and reinvigorate the often congested tissues of the lower leg.
So for this week’s edition of #favethingsfriday, I’m sharing one of my secret weapons for managing and preventing shin and calf pain. Watch the video clip —> HERE.
I credit this gem for ridding me of the dreaded shin splints once and for all. I do it once weekly for maintenance and I throw in an extra preventative sesh after long runs, lots of box jumps, and double under practice. It’s also great to do if you spend your day in shoes with a heel.
FULL DISCLOSURE: It really sucks when you’re doing it (not gonna sugar coat it) but it seriously works wonders for both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles as well as all the attached tissues. A couple 30-60 second rounds of this once a day, for a few days and things should start to feel a whole lot better down there.
Just FYI, this clip is cut straight from my Yoga for Durability Calf & Shin Relief online video. The full 22-minute practice is available for rent or purchase here. Check it out!
Also, if you’re on my email list, check your email for a code from me with a 50% off code good for the full-length video — but don’t wait because the code is only good for TODAY ONLY!
Don’t miss future offers like this one, get yourself on my email list! Sign up ——> HERE.