We are often asked what things people should be doing in order to maximize recovery after a big run. We all know that regular training and good preparation are key to ensuring your body is adequately prepared beforehand. This reduces injury risk and obviously improves performance on the day. But what should we be aiming to do afterwards, and how do we get our timings right to ensure you are fully recovered before running again?
Running is obviously a high impact activity and does cause strain and damage. However, this is positive and a natural response to high intensity exercise. Your body responds to this stimulus by growing, repairing and becoming stronger and more robust, but only if we train smart and recover effectively.
What are the key things we should be doing post run?
- Rehydrate and re-fuel. Rehydrate with water and electrolytes – your body needs to restore not just hydration levels but also lost minerals. An electrolyte tablet or Sports drink are ideal immediately after exercise.
- Foam roll and stretch tight muscles and fascia. Hopefully you are already in the habit of having a good foam roll and dynamic stretching pre-run. Now spend some time having a more gentle stretch and foam roll of your tired muscles post workout as well. This will also help in bringing your heart rate down gradually.
- Sports nutrition is a huge subject – we recommend careful consideration goes into making choices for re-fueling post exercise – but eat well to aid muscle recovery and try to consume some good quality protein soon after, to facilitate muscle growth and recovery.
- Make sure you get enough sleep. Try where possible to stick to good sleep hygiene habits and maintain a routine. Regardless of the type of training you are doing, your body recovers during good quality sleep and this will therefore directly affect performance and injury risk.
- Stay on top of injury. Make sure you don’t continue to train with a developing problem or injury concern. Having a niggle or minor injury won’t always mean you have to stop. Speak to a Physiotherapist who can advise on how best to get around it without putting yourself at higher risk of more serious injury. A lot of people are surprised when we tell them they can continue with their chosen sport, alongside a structured rehab plan. Yes, of course there will be times when stopping entirely is the right thing to do, but where possible, we will work with you to find a safe way to keep you training. The key point is, if you have a developing concern… have it assessed early as this may save you time and pain in the future!
