Pilates fits, but no trial has tested it
The NHS suggests switching to gentle exercise such as yoga or swimming while shin splints heal, and most Pilates is lying, sitting or side-lying, with no impact. No trial has tested Pilates for shin splints.
Pilates guide
Pilates for shin splints: the calf, the foot and the hips, getting back to running, which moves to change, what the evidence shows, and a 25-minute class
The NHS suggests switching to gentle exercise such as yoga or swimming while shin splints heal, and Pilates fits: most of it is lying, sitting or side-lying, and reformer footwork works the calves without impact. No trial has tested Pilates for shin splints, and no treatment has been proven to work; what got athletes back in the best trial was a gradual return to running. So Pilates is for staying strong while you rest from running: calf and shin endurance, hip strength and one-leg balance.
First, rule out a stress fracture: pain in one spot you can point to, pain at rest or at night, or pain with every step needs checking. This guide covers how to tell them apart, the calves, the feet and the hips, reformer footwork, which moves to change, the checks before running again, what the evidence shows, and a free 25-minute class with no impact.
19 moves19 with 3D demosIs it shin splints?Does Pilates help?Calves and shinsNo jumpingBack to runningWarning signs
The short version
Rule out a stress fracture first
Shin splints hurt along a strip of the inner shin, mostly during exercise. Pain in one spot you can point to, pain at rest or at night, or pain with every step needs checking. The trials that defined shin splints required tenderness along at least 5 cm of the bone.
No treatment is proven; a gradual return did the work
Reviews found every treatment trial at high risk of bias and nothing that could be recommended. In the best trial, 74 athletes on a graded running programme alone did as well as those who added calf exercises or a compression stocking: about 102 to 118 days to run 18 minutes non-stop.
The calves are weaker in shin splints
Athletes with shin splints managed 23 heel raises against 33 in matched controls, and runners 33 single-leg raises against 75. Whether that causes shin splints or comes from them is unknown, but building calf endurance is a sensible part of the plan.
Strength and balance prevent it; stretching doesn't
Balance and strength (neuromuscular) training cut shin splints across 4 trials (3,887 people, high certainty), and static stretching didn't. But a 15-minute strength, flexibility and coordination routine didn't prevent them in 1,020 army recruits, so a short Pilates routine isn't a shield.
Recovery takes weeks to months
In novice runners, shin splints were the commonest injury, with a median recovery of 72 days. The way back is walk-run intervals on alternate days, adding distance before speed.
Shin splints or a stress fracture?
Pain in one spot on the bone
Pain in one spot on the shin or a foot bone that you can point to with a fingertip, worse with impact and later present at rest or at night: a possible stress fracture. Stop running and jumping until it has been checked.
That is our stress fracture guide's line. Get it checked before more Pilates on your feet.
How they differ
Two clinicians agreed on the diagnosis of shin splints 96% of the time from the history and an examination, in 46 athletes. Experts place shin splints near the start of a bone stress continuum: a stress reaction, then a stress fracture, then a complete break.
- Where: shin splints hurt along a strip of the inner edge of the shin. The trials required tenderness along at least 5 cm, and one says tenderness shorter than that "is typically associated with stress fractures". A stress fracture is one spot you can point to with a fingertip.
- When: shin splints hurt mostly during and after exercise. A stress fracture comes to hurt with every step, and later at rest or at night.
- What to do: shin splints settle with less running and a gradual return. A suspected stress fracture needs checking first, and no running or jumping until then.
Compartment syndrome is different
Tight, burning pain in the muscle that builds with exercise and fades quickly when you stop, sometimes with numbness, points to chronic exertional compartment syndrome; shin splints pain can last hours or days. Our exertional compartment syndrome guide covers it, and its warning lines are below.
What shin splints are
Pain along the inner shin
Pain and tenderness along the inner edge of the shin bone, brought on by running, jumping or marching. The medical name is medial tibial stress syndrome, and newer research calls it load-induced medial leg pain. The NHS says it usually gets better within a few weeks; in novice runners, the median recovery was nearer 10 weeks.
A bone under strainEmerging evidence
Imaging studies point to a stress reaction of the bone as the likeliest cause, which is why experts place shin splints near the start of the bone stress continuum. The calf muscles help take load off the shin bone, experts say.
What raises the riskEmerging evidence
From observational studies, mostly with small effects: being female, a previous episode or running injury, a higher body mass index or weight, an arch that drops more, and more outward rotation at the hip. How far the ankle bends and the knee's Q angle aren't risk factors, and nor is weak hip abduction.
The calvesEmerging evidence
In 30 athletes with shin splints and 30 without, heel raises to fatigue averaged 23 against 33. In 20 runners each, single-leg raises were 33 against 75, with weaker calf, shin and foot muscles. A review of 17 mostly case-control studies found the same calf endurance gap but "large knowledge gaps", because few studies followed people forward. Big-toe strength ran the other way in one small study: higher in runners with past shin splints.
What the evidence says
No Pilates trialStrong evidence
Our searches of PubMed, Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov in October 2026 found no Pilates trial in shin splints, shin bone stress injuries, shin pain, military recruits or preventing running injuries. The nearest: 12 weeks of home mat Pilates didn't significantly change knee movement in 34 novice runners, and small studies of Pilates in flat feet found small changes in walking and balance, or none.
No treatment is provenStrong evidence
A 2013 review found 11 trials, all at high risk of bias, and said stretching and strengthening, compression stockings, braces and laser "have not been proven". A 2022 review of 6 load-changing trials could recommend none. A 2026 review of 3 trials in 130 runners found arch supports with other care eased pain in the short term against sham, and "Exercise additions were not superior to comparators". There's no Cochrane review of treatment.
A graded return to runningEmerging evidence
In 74 athletes, a graded running programme alone, or with calf stretching and strengthening at home 5 times a week, or with a compression stocking, took 105, 118 and 102 days to finish, with no real difference between them. Runs were 3 times a week with a day off between, from 2 minutes running and 2 walking up to 18 minutes non-stop. The trial had no rest-only group, so it can't show that running beats rest.
Source 3
Adding exercises didn't ease the painMixed evidence
In 40 runners all given ice, insoles, shockwave and a walk-to-run return, adding lower-leg exercises improved foot posture and quality of life but not pain. In another 40, hip abductor training reduced the pelvis dropping and the knee moving inward on a step-down, but the trial reported no pain result, so it isn't evidence that hip work treats shin pain.
Prevention: strength and balance, not stretchingStrong evidence
Across 12 trials (8,197 people), neuromuscular training prevented shin splints (4 trials, 3,887 people, high certainty) and static stretching didn't. Gait retraining with exercises cut them in army recruits at higher risk. But a 15-minute routine 3 times a week didn't prevent them in 1,020 recruits, and a supervised hip and core programme cut overuse injuries overall in 325 novice runners, with no shin splints result available to us and without measurably changing hip strength or running mechanics.
Step rate: mixedMixed evidence
A lower step rate went with more shin injury in 68 high school runners and more bone stress injury in 54 college runners. But in lab studies a 10% quicker step didn't clearly lower load on the shin bone, while shorter strides and slower running did, at very low certainty. Our running form guide covers step rate.
The reformer
Footwork without impact
Footwork presses the carriage with your feet while you lie down, with no impact, and one Pilates teacher-training body suggests low-load footwork for clients with shin splints. Within the shin splints strength rule (mild discomfort that has settled by the next day), it suits the weeks off running. No study has measured load on the shin in footwork.
The jumpboard waits
Jumping on the jumpboard is still impact. Leave it until you meet the checks for running again (our suggestion).
Calves and shins, without impact
Seated bent-knee raise, 3 sets of 15, if pain-free; shin raises with your back against a wall, 2 sets of 15; slow calf raise, 3 sets of 15; single-leg raise, building toward 3 sets of 15 to 20 slow reps each leg; heel walks, 3 sets of 20 m; band eversion, 3 sets of 15 (our shin splints guide's stages, for each). Ankle circles, "10 slow circles each way with each foot (our editorial starting point)" (the move page's dose); towel scrunches, 2 sets of 12 each foot (our foot and ankle strengthening routine).
3D demoSeated bent-knee calf raise (soleus raise)Beginner · A bench or box
3D demoTibialis raiseBeginner · No equipment
3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall
3D demoSingle-leg calf raise from a stepIntermediate · A step + A wall
3D demoHeel walkBeginner · No equipment
3D demoBand ankle eversionBeginner · A band + A bench or box
3D demoAnkle circlesBeginner · No equipment
3D demoTowel toe curlBeginner · Other / check instructions + A bench or boxHips, lying and standing
General strength for runners, not a proven shin fix: the one hip trial in shin splints reported no pain result. Side kick, "8 to 10 each side"; shoulder bridge, "3 to 5 kicks each leg"; hip hitch, "3 sets of 15 slow reps each side, 3 times a week: the dose in a runners' trial that included this move" (the move page's dose for each). Side-lying leg raise and clamshell, 3 sets of 12 each side, and glute bridge, 3 sets of 12 (our shin splints guide); single-leg bridge, 3 sets of 10 each leg (our IT band syndrome guide).
3D demoSide kick (Pilates side kick series)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoSide-lying leg raiseBeginner · No equipment
3D demoClamshellBeginner · No equipment
3D demoShoulder bridge (Pilates)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoGlute bridgeBeginner · No equipment
3D demoHip hitch (pelvic drop)Beginner · A step
3D demoSingle-leg glute bridgeIntermediate · No equipmentTrunk and one-leg balance
The hundred, "50 beats to start, building to 100 (the classical count)"; single-leg stretch, "6 to 10 each side"; swimming, "2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds" (the move page's dose for each). One-leg stand, 3 holds of 30 seconds each leg (our shin splints guide). Balance and strength programmes prevented shin splints in trials; these Pilates moves themselves are untested for it.
Moves to change or leave out
Jumping and hopping
The jumpboard, skipping, ankle bounces, pogo hops and the jumping jacks in a cardio Pilates class wait until you meet the checks below. The hop moves' own caution: "Leave it out with a suspected stress fracture: bone pain should be gone before you hop."
Standing work while walking hurts
If walking still hurts, do the calf and hip work sitting or lying (our suggestion, from the Dutch trial's rule of no running until walking had been pain-free for 2 days).
Source 3
Rolling the shin
Rolling the muscles beside the shin bone is optional comfort. The move's caution: "Keep off the shin bone itself. Pain on the bone that worsens with running needs checking rather than rolling." Our shins fascia guide covers rolling.
Calf stretches
Fine for comfort (calf and soleus stretches against a wall, 2 to 3 holds of 30 seconds each side, our shin splints guide), but stretching hasn't been shown to treat or prevent shin splints.
Back to running: the checks, then walk-run
The first four checks and the running rule are our shin splints guide's; the walk-run pattern is from a review of return-to-running guidance after shin bone stress injuries and the Dutch trial. Our shin splints guide has the full plan.
- Pressing along the shin bone is no longer tender.
- Walking is pain-free.
- 20 slow single-leg calf raises on each leg are pain-free.
- 30 seconds of easy hopping on the spot is pain-free.
- Then walk-run intervals, often on alternate days, adding distance before speed. In the Dutch trial, runs went from 2 minutes running and 2 walking to 18 minutes non-stop, over 6 phases.
- Running should be pain-free, or close to it. If bone pain comes back and doesn't settle when you cut back, stop running and get it checked.
- Keep the calf and hip work going twice a week once you're back running (our suggestion).
See the movement on the 3D figure: Single-leg calf raise from a step
Classes
Our 25-minute class follows the shin splints guide's first two stages with no impact; its structure is editorial. The yoga class, the shin release routine and the foot and ankle routine work the same areas; the runners' strength workout has hops, so it's for after the checks.
Impact-free Pilates for shin splints: a 25-minute class for calf and shin endurance, the hips and one-leg balance
A 25-minute Pilates class with no impact for shin splints: calf and shin endurance, hip and trunk work on the mat, and one-leg balance while you rest from running.
25 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, A wall
Yoga for shin splints: a 25-minute class with calf, shin and hip strength, and no jumping
A 25-minute yoga class for shin splints: seated and standing calf work, the tibialis raise, hip strength, short standing poses and rest, with no jumping.
25 minBeginner15 movesA bench or box, A wall
Shin release routine: roll, stretch, strengthen
Roll the front and outer shin and the calf, stretch the calf, then strengthen the shin and calf muscles. About 20 minutes, for comfort and strength.
20 minBeginner9 movesOther / check instructions, A foam roller
Foot and ankle strengthening routine: toes, arches, calves and balance
A 15-minute barefoot routine for stronger toes, arches, calves and ankles, finishing with balance. You need only a towel, a wall and a resistance band.
15 minBeginner11 movesA wall, Other / check instructions
Strength workout for runners at home
A 40-minute strength workout for runners at home: hops, Bulgarian split squats, single-leg deadlifts, step-ups, calf raises and side planks.
40 minIntermediate15 movesA wall, A bench or boxWarning signs: when to get help
These are the same warning signs as our shin splints, stress fracture and exertional compartment syndrome guides, word for word. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999, and use your doctor's urgent line or urgent care for NHS 111.
Call 999 or go to A&E
- Call 999 or go to A&E: sudden, severe pain in a muscle, which may be worse when you stretch it, with swelling, numbness, weakness or pins and needles, or tightness or difficulty moving the leg. This can be acute compartment syndrome, which needs surgery as soon as possible. It usually follows an injury or a bandage or cast that is too tight, but rarely it can follow very hard exercise. Do not drive yourself to A&E.
- Call 999 or go to A&E: a leg that is suddenly cold, pale, numb, weak or very painful. A sudden loss of blood supply to a leg is a vascular emergency.
- Go to A&E: severe pain after an injury, which can mean a broken bone, or you cannot put any weight on the leg. A stress fracture can become a complete break if you keep loading it.
Source 17
Get help the same day
- Get help from NHS 111: you have shin splints and the pain is severe, or you've injured your shin.
- Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111: sudden swelling, redness, heat and pain in the calf, which could be a blood clot. Go to A&E: severe pain after an injury, which can mean a broken bone; or you cannot put any weight on the leg.
- Same day (urgent GP appointment or NHS 111): throbbing pain in one leg (rarely both), usually the calf or thigh; swelling in one leg (rarely both); red, blue or darkened skin around the painful area, which may be harder to see on brown or black skin; or swollen veins. This can be a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is more likely after surgery, a hospital stay, 3 or more days in bed, a journey of over 4 hours, pregnancy or a recent birth, cancer, a previous clot, or contraception or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that contains oestrogen.
Pain in one spot on the bone
- Pain in one spot on the shin or a foot bone that you can point to with a fingertip, worse with impact and later present at rest or at night: a possible stress fracture. Stop running and jumping until it has been checked.
- Pain in the middle of the foot that is hard to pinpoint, on the outer edge of the midfoot, or on the front of the shin bone in a running or jumping athlete. These sites heal less well and need prompt assessment, often with a scan.
- A stress fracture from ordinary activity, more than one stress fracture, periods that have stopped or become irregular, or worries that you're eating too little for your training: see a GP about bone health and energy intake.
- Bone pain that comes back during the return to running and doesn't settle when you cut back, or no improvement after 6 to 8 weeks of taking load off the bone: stop running and contact your GP or physiotherapist.
Source 1
See a GP
- Shin pain that is not settling after a few weeks of changing your training, or is getting worse.
- You keep getting pain, numbness, swelling or difficulty moving part of your leg when you exercise: see a GP, who can check whether it is compartment syndrome or something else.
- Numbness or weakness that stays after exercise, or a foot that slaps down or catches when you run.
During Pilates: the shin splints rule
For shin splints, this site suggests mild discomfort during strength exercises is acceptable if it has settled by the next day. Running should be pain-free, or close to it.
If you suspect a stress fracture, the rule is stricter: do not push through pain. Health New Zealand advises stopping as soon as you feel pain during a return to activity.
Leave it out with a suspected stress fracture: bone pain should be gone before you hop.
Chest pain or fainting while exercising: call 999
Call 999 if:
- You get sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that doesn't go away; it can feel like squeezing or pressure, burning or indigestion.
- The pain spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, stomach or back.
- You have chest pain and feel sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath.
- Someone faints while exercising, can't be woken within 1 minute, or has chest pain or a pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat.
Unusual breathlessness
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
Stop the session if
You feel any pain or become unwell, as the NHS advises for its Pilates videos, and especially for chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting. If you have a health problem, an injury or any symptoms, get advice from a healthcare professional, such as a GP, before you start.
Source 42
Before you start
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
Source 42
Myths
"Shin splints mean you must stop running for good"Emerging evidence
Most people recover in weeks to months: a median of 72 days in novice runners, and about 102 to 118 days to run 18 minutes non-stop in the trial programme. What helps is a graded return, not giving up running.
"Stretch your calves and shins to cure shin splints"Mixed evidence
Stretching hasn't been shown to treat shin splints, and static stretching programmes didn't prevent them.
"A strong core prevents shin splints"Mixed evidence
No trial has tested core or Pilates training for shin splints. A 15-minute strength, flexibility and coordination routine didn't prevent them in 1,020 recruits, and a supervised hip and core programme cut overuse injuries overall in novice runners without changing strength or running mechanics.
"Pilates causes shin splints"Mixed evidence
Mat Pilates and reformer footwork are low impact; the jumpboard and cardio Pilates add impact. Shin pain after starting a jumping class more likely reflects the jump in impact than Pilates itself (our reading, from the risk factor reviews; no study has looked).
"Shin splints are just sore muscles"Emerging evidence
Imaging points to a stress reaction of the bone, and experts place shin splints near the start of the bone stress continuum. Pain in one spot on the bone is a different problem: see the warning signs.
"Run with a quicker step and your shins will be fine"Mixed evidence
A lower step rate went with shin and bone stress injuries in two small studies of runners, but a 10% quicker step didn't clearly lower the load on the shin bone in lab studies.
Read next
- Shin splints
- Shin pain
- Stress fracture
- Exertional compartment syndrome
- Calf pain when running
- Yoga for shin splints
- Shin fascia
- Pilates for runners
- Pilates for the feet
- Pilates for flat feet
- How to strengthen your calves
- How to improve your running form
- How to run longer
- The tibialis anterior
- The soleus
- The Pilates guide
Questions people ask
Is Pilates good for shin splints?
It's a good way to stay strong without impact while you can't run, but it hasn't been tested as a treatment. The NHS suggests gentle exercise such as yoga or swimming while shin splints heal, and Pilates fits that.
Can I do Pilates with shin splints?
Usually, yes: mat and reformer Pilates have little impact. Leave out the jumpboard and any jumping, and stop for pain in one spot on the bone, which needs checking.
Is reformer Pilates OK with shin splints?
Footwork, lying on the carriage, presses with your feet without impact, and one Pilates teacher-training body suggests low-load footwork for clients with shin splints. Avoid the jumpboard until you meet the checks for running again.
Which Pilates exercises help shin splints?
Calf and shin endurance without impact (seated and standing heel raises, shin raises, heel walks), hip work (bridges, side-lying leg lifts, the hip hitch) and one-leg balance. Our 25-minute class puts them in order. None has been tested as a treatment for shin splints.
Can Pilates cause shin splints?
Mat Pilates is low impact, so it's an unlikely cause. Jumping classes add impact, and shin splints follow a rise in impact load (our reading). Shin pain that starts after a new jumping class is a reason to drop the jumps for now.
Is it shin splints or a stress fracture?
Shin splints hurt along a strip of the inner shin, mostly during exercise. A stress fracture is one spot you can point to, often aching at rest or at night. Pain in one spot needs checking before more exercise.
Will strengthening my calves fix shin splints?
People with shin splints manage fewer heel raises, so building calf endurance is sensible. But in the one trial that added calf work to a graded running programme, it gave no extra benefit. Think of it as part of the plan, not the cure.
Should I stretch for shin splints?
For comfort, if it helps. Stretching hasn't been shown to treat shin splints, and static stretching programmes didn't prevent them.
When can I run again?
When pressing along the bone no longer hurts, walking is pain-free, and 20 slow single-leg calf raises and 30 seconds of easy hopping are pain-free. Then walk-run intervals on alternate days, adding distance before speed.
How long do shin splints take to heal?
In novice runners, the median was 72 days. In the trial programme, it took about 102 to 118 days to run 18 minutes non-stop. Pain in one spot on the bone is a different problem, with its own timeline: our stress fracture guide covers it.
Does a strong core prevent shin splints?
It hasn't been shown: a short strength, flexibility and coordination routine didn't prevent shin splints in 1,020 army recruits. Balance and strength training programmes did prevent them across 4 trials.
When should I see a doctor about shin pain?
Get help from NHS 111 if the pain is severe or you've injured your shin, and call 999 for sudden, severe pain in a muscle with swelling, numbness or weakness. See a GP if the pain is in one spot on the bone, comes on at rest or at night, or isn't settling after a few weeks of changing your training.
Sources
- NHS · Shin splints (past its review date: reviewed February 2023, review due February 2026)
- PubMed, Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · Our searches for Pilates trials in shin splints, shin bone stress and running injuries (October 2026)
- Moen 2012 · A graded running programme alone, with calf exercises or with a compression stocking, for shin splints in 74 athletes (randomised trial, Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabil Ther Technol; read in full)
- Naderi 2025 · Adding lower-leg exercises to other care for shin splints, in 40 runners (randomised trial, Orthop J Sports Med; read in full)
- Winters 2013 · Treatments for shin splints: 11 trials (systematic review, Sports Med)
- Teles 2026 · Non-invasive treatments for load-induced shin pain in runners: 3 trials (systematic review, Phys Ther Sport)
- Madeley 2007 · Calf endurance in 30 athletes with shin splints and 30 without (case-control study, J Sci Med Sport)
- Mattock 2021 · Lower-leg muscle size and strength in 20 runners with shin splints and 20 without (case-control study, J Foot Ankle Res; read in full)
- Marques 2025 · Preventing shin splints: 12 trials, 8,197 people (systematic review and meta-analysis, Gait Posture)
- Brushøj 2008 · A 15-minute exercise programme to prevent overuse injuries in 1,020 army recruits (randomised trial, Am J Sports Med)
- Nielsen 2014 · Time to recovery in 254 injured novice runners (cohort study, PLoS One; read in full)
- George 2024 · Returning to running after a shin bone stress injury (scoping review, Sports Med; read in full)
- Warden 2014 · Managing and preventing bone stress injuries in distance runners (clinical review, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther)
- Winters 2018 · Diagnosing shin splints from the history and an examination, in 46 athletes (reliability study, Br J Sports Med)
- Hoenig 2022 · Bone stress injuries (review, Nat Rev Dis Primers)
- Velasco 2020 · Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (clinical review, Curr Sports Med Rep)
- NHS · Compartment syndrome
- Newman 2013 · Risk factors for shin splints in runners (systematic review and meta-analysis, Open Access J Sports Med; read in full)
- Hamstra-Wright 2015 · Risk factors for shin splints in runners and military personnel (systematic review and meta-analysis, Br J Sports Med)
- Reinking 2017 · Risk factors for shin splints in active people (systematic review and meta-analysis, Sports Health; read in full)
- Lee 2025 · Alignment, range of movement, strength and running mechanics in shin splints (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Sport Rehabil)
- Mucha 2017 · Hip abductor strength and running injuries in distance runners: 11 studies (systematic review, J Sci Med Sport)
- Mattock 2021 · Leg muscle, tendon and function in shin splints: 17 studies (systematic review, Sports Med Open; read in full)
- Saeki 2017 · Ankle and toe strength in runners with past shin splints (cross-sectional study, J Foot Ankle Res)
- González 2023 · Home mat Pilates and knee movement in 34 novice runners (randomised trial, registered after it ran, J Bodyw Mov Ther)
- Kim 2026 · Pilates for walking and balance in women with flexible flat feet (pilot randomised trial, Int Biomech; read in full)
- Ghorbani 2026 · Pilates, balance and leg position sense in women with and without flexible flat feet (trial, Foot Ankle Spec)
- Egerton 2022 · Load-changing treatments for shin pain from loading: 6 trials (systematic review, J Sci Med Sport)
- Lashien 2024 · Hip abductor training in 40 runners with shin splints (randomised trial, J Orthop Surg Res; read in full)
- Sharma 2014 · Gait retraining and shin splints in army recruits (randomised trial, Med Sci Sports Exerc)
- Leppänen 2024 · A hip and core programme and overuse injuries in novice runners (three-arm randomised trial, Br J Sports Med)
- Jarske 2026 · Two pre-running programmes, running mechanics and strength in novice runners (randomised trial, Gait Posture)
- Luedke 2016 · Step rate and shin injuries in 68 high school runners (cohort study, Med Sci Sports Exerc)
- Kliethermes 2021 · Step rate and bone stress injury in 54 college cross country runners (cohort study, Br J Sports Med)
- Keast 2022 · How changes to running form affect load on the shin bone (systematic review and meta-analysis, Sports Med; read in full)
- Balanced Body · Allegro reformer user guide: footwork, kneeling abdominals and arm work (maker's guide; read in full)
- Pilatesology · Reformer footwork series: set-up, goals and cues (classical exercise encyclopedia; public page read in full)
- Merrithew (STOTT PILATES) · Ask the Expert: Shin Splints (teacher-training blog, 2018; read in full)
- NHS · DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
- NHS · Heart attack
- NHS · Chest pain (past its review date: reviewed August 2023, review due August 2026)
- NHS · Pilates for beginners
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.