Movement is actually an essential part of maintenance and recovery. Many regenerative processes depend upon impact and activity to repair and build themselves. An example of this is synovial joints. From my knee pain article:
Great, [synovial] fluid seems to do everything. Maintains your joints, lubricates them and even helps with shock absorption. So where's the problem? Synovial fluid depends on the movement of the joint in order to circulate and perform its function. Imagine the cartilage in your knee is like a dirty sponge sitting in a container of water (synovial fluid). The sponge just sitting there isn't going to get cleaner but if you keep squeezing and releasing, the water circulates and the sponge gets a lot cleaner. The same thing happens in your joints.
Furthermore, a lot of joint problems come from muscle weakness or imbalance and improper movement mechanics.
If you are having joint problems then you want to make sure to address any flexibility or mobility issues in the joints. Improve muscle strength and balance. Reduce sedentariness and avoid any painful activities.
For shin splints, improving ankle mobility, calf flexibility and hip activation (Specifically the hip rotators like glute medius) should help. Make sure you aren't ramping up your training load too quickly - tendons, same as muscles improve their capacity over time.
From the book Human Anatomy on exercise and cartilage