How Do You Maintain Shin Guards Well for Their Long Life?
In martial art forms, shin attack is typically common in Muay Thai. The practitioners condition their shins with the help of heavy bags and Thai pads to deliver forceful strikes. As such, everyone knows these fighters make their shins as strong as metal to use them as protection and weapon simultaneously. They achieve this by exposing their shin bone tissue to the stress of constant kicking, leading to osteoblasts and osteoclasts due to microtrauma. Osteoclasts disintegrate the damaged tissue, while osteoblasts provide new bone. The bone mass reformation process like this increases the bone density at the stressed site.
Training shin is extremely important. But it should happen properly. Wearing shin guards during drills or sparring is crucial to adapt to the stimulus without suffering much damage. Novice kickboxers should be more careful with shin microtrauma or fractures. It takes years to build shin through training and an adrenalin rush from the fight. Once you work on it correctly, your legs will be your defense and offense. So, equip yourself with a good shin guard first before starting. Since it can be an expensive buy, please keep it safe. Here are some maintenance techniques to help you use the same pair for a long time.
Clean shin guards immediately after use!
After training, you can take a towel to wipe the exteriors. It prevents staining from sweat. If you have disinfectant wipes, apply them to sanitize the protective guard. You can use a hair dryer at a high cooling temperature on the interiors to blow cool air for a few minutes. You can also use a dry towel with a good absorbency rate to remove moisture. When you do this, the shin guards remain clean and fresh smelling. Store them away from the damp clothes you wore during training.
Store shin guards appropriately!
On returning home from the gym, you should remove your shin guard from the bag. If they stay there overnight, the guards will become smelly. Keeping them in the open will help them eliminate unwanted moisture and odor. Some people head to their work after training. Their shin guards remain locked inside, turning into a stinking disaster. If you also have the same routine, you can address this problem by choosing a ventilated gym bag. Partial or full mesh material will be breathable. As a result, the damp equipment will get an airy room to dry out.
A vital point
People often wonder if they can machine wash their shin guards. Moisture can damage the shin guard construction and material, leading to flaking and wrinkles. Hence, it’s best to avoid this process. The firmer base of the protective gear will also be at risk of damage in the washer. It can develop scrapes and knocks. Also, exposure to heat in the tumbler can disintegrate the material. So, please stay away from this.
The simple way to care for your shin guard is to wipe and air dry it afterward. This regular practice will keep this equipment in a safe state. You can also check the manufacturer’s care instructions about this. They will have a better idea of how to protect their product.
