Shin splints and sprinting part 3
We’ve covered several drills to help with preventing shin splints in sprinting athletes. This post is going to focus on a last type of drill that can be used to help condition the lower leg to help prevent shin splints. These are different types of ankle hops.
Ankle hops, forward
The athlete should face the course and stand up tall. Next, plantarflex so that they are on their toes. From here, moving from the ankle, hop forward for the desired distance.
Ankle hops, backwards
The athlete should face away from the course and stand up tall. Next, plantarflex so that they are on their toes. From here, moving from the ankle, hop backwards for the desired distance.
Ankle hops, side to side
The athlete should face the course and stand up tall. Next, plantarflex so that they are on their toes. From here, hop side to side until the desired distance is covered.
These drills can be done on two feet or on one foot for advanced athletes.
As written, this is using shin splint drills as part of the cool down. This means that we progress from faster, high intensity exercises to slower, low intensity ones. For example, our athlete performs their speed and agility training session and then begins the cool down. The cool down might look like this:
- Ankle hops, side to side, 10 meters
- Ankle hops, backwards, 10 meters
- Ankle hops, forwards, 10 meters
- Walk eversion, 10 meters
- Walk inversion, 10 meters
- Walk on toes, toes in 10 meters
- Walk on toes, toes out 10 meters
- Walk on heels, 10 meters
- Walk on toes, 10 meters
The reality is that we won’t do everything in a session as written above. Pick 1-2 exercises and do them as part of the cool down.
