I've noticed I'm having some pain in my shins while training. Is there anything I can do to prevent shin pain or to strengthen the area?

Thank you :-)

You may want to look at the earlier thread on this topic for some ideas -- http://www.portlandfit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61

Thanks, Eric! The thread has some good ideas, which I plan on trying out today!

Shin splints are caused by a neuromuscular imbalance. A competent trainer can assess the injury and provide the proper program design that would bring your body back into balance and therefore eliminate the pain. Good Luck!

Depending on the type of shin splints (anterior or posterior) there are a variety of things you can do to decrease your symptoms. However, making sure that there are not stress fractures first is very important. Some of the home care things you can do focused stretching of the calves including the ant. tibialis muscle, post. tibialis muscle, soleus, gastroc, and peroneal muscles. Ice is your friend......use it. Like swimcoach was saying balancing out your lower leg muscles is important. This can be done with balance exercises like: around the worlds, wobble board exercises, and one-leg balance squats.
Sometimes equipment is needed like good arch supports and/or pronation control shoes. Also having a sports massage to the legs is very helpful to decrease pain and increase healing time.
If you have any questions about these procedures, stop by the tent on Sat. or give me a shout.
Cheers,
Dr. Jake