Running. Why do my lower legs hurt 5 minutes in?

shin splints is a catch all phrase. ppl will debate forever on its definition. so lets not label it and call it "the pain assosiated from years of doing nothing and then jumping into a running program all of a sudden" sounds like it could be your calves as well as a muscle lower than the calves called the soleus. this is common in beginners. you need to cut back and walk more. this will strenghten the attachments of your tendons/ligaments/muscles... once those are strengthened. then you can run. maybe not without any pain, but you will have a better base to start off with. stretching is good. but this will only ease the symptom not clear the underlying problem. and lets be clear about that. you are maybe overweight, yes? not used to this amount of battling with gravity? give it time.... lots of time walking. got to strengthen your lower legs before you punish them so.

It's doesn't sound like shin splints - that's an issue with the connective tissue, not muscle, and is only at the front of your leg . I'm not sure what might be causing your problem, but as you say your calves feel very tight, I would definitely recommend stretching them every chance you get, especially before and after running, for several minutes. Stretch gently at first, then more as the pain subsides. A good stretch is to stand with the front of one foot on a step, (lift the other foot slightly), then let your weight push your heel down towards the ground. Hold for a minute then switch legs. If stretching doesn't help I'd go and see an orthopedic doctor who specializes in sports medicine. Good luck.

I also had this problem in the fall. its not shin splints so don't try to wrap your calf. my coach told me to stretch it by pointing your toe then pulling back and repeat it over and over. also you could work on writing the alphabet in the air with your toes. this builds up the muscle while helping to stretch it. if you can, I would take a break from running for a bit to help the muscle heal. if not then continue to stretch it. my leg no longer hurts when i run but i think that it is mostly because i took a month break from running. i hope it starts to feel better!