Begin by standing with your back to a wall. Place your heels about a foot away from the wall while your body is resting on the wall. Begin to dorsiflex (bring toes up) both ankles while your heels remain in contact with the ground.
Stretch your toes up as far as possible. Lower your feet back toward the ground. Try to keep your toes from touching the ground. Repeat for 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Begin with an erect body position, placing your feet about shoulder-width apart. Take a step forward with one foot. The length of the step should be a normal walking step. When your heel makes contact with the ground, stop your foot from fully plantar flexing.
Using your shin muscles, keep the sole of the foot from contacting the ground. Your toes should not descend more than an inch or so. Step back to the starting position, repeat for 10-15 reps, and switch legs.
Stretching your calves could help alleviate shin splints. Be proactive with this stretch. Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs straight in front of you.
Loop an exercise band or towel around the bottom of your feet and gently pull back into dorsiflexion. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times on each leg.
Strengthen your anterior lower leg and help reduce the recurrence of shin splints with this stretch. Sit on the floor and loop an exercise band around the front of your feet with the other end of the band wrapped around a table or stationary object you can use for support.
Dorsiflex your foot against the resistance. Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Increase the resistance by using heavier bands or doubling your reps to the 20-30 range.
