there's an exercise you can do with cables/resistance bands for the muscles in your shins but i forgot what it's called.
you sit down with one leg in front of you parallel to the floor, and get somebody to hook one end of the resistance band around your toes/foot and pull away from you while you use your foot bending at your ankle to pull the band towards you. think opposite of a calf raise. when i used to run long distances and i got shin splints this doctor who worked out at my gym showed me that and after a week or two no more shin splints.
and supposedly, when you're sitting down, use your foot to trace out the ABC'S on the ground over and over again until it starts to burn a little. uses the same muscles. don't let you knee move on either of these exercises.