5 Musts for Post Run Recovery
Do your legs turn to jelly as soon as you cross the finish line? With the rush of endorphins, and relief at finishing sometimes the last thing you can think about is getting you body back to normal.
Unfortunately, any form of long distance running from 5K to 26 miles, can leave the body with depleted fuel stores, dehydrated or fatigued.
We’ve asked out experts to share with us their 5 top tips to help you bounce back:
1. Refuel
Runners burn roughly 100 calories per mile, depending on height or weight. This can leave your body very tired; therefore, it is essential that you replenish it with both vitamins and protein to repair any muscle damage.
“Give your body the protein boost that it needs with Nature’s Plus Pea Protein Powder (£22.50, naturesplus.co.uk). Add a scoop to your banana, avocado and spinach smoothie for additional 15 gram of protein, which can also help you stay fuller for longer and stop you from snacking”, says Nutritionist, Cassandra Barns.
2. Re-hydrate
It is well known that when you exercise, you sweat more. The role of sweat is to cool down your core body temperature and prevent you from overheating. However, excessive sweating (say, over the course of a 26 mile marathon route) can leave you severely dehydrated and lacking in essential nutrients.
“You should refuel your muscles as soon as you can tolerate eating and rehydrate your body with extra liquids that have been lost through sweat. To add natural flavour to your drinking water you can steep flavoursome and fragrant things in it such as cucumber, lemon and mint” advises Nutritionist Shona Wilkinson from SuperfoodUK.com, the online destination for all things health and well-being.
3. Stretch it out
To help ease lactic acid build up, it is important to resist the urge to collapse on the sofa, as that will only make your muscles tighter and sorer. The right stretches will loosen up those tense muscles and strengthen the ones that need a hand.
Lynne Robinson, founder of Body Control Pilates (bodycontrolpilates.com), explains, “Keep your spine mobile. Exercises such as waist twists helps to ease out unwanted kinks and also works the muscles.”
4. Treat your feet
They’ve carried you for many miles so show your feet some post run love and appreciation!
Avoid stepping off your bed the next morning and hitting the floor with painful feet that haven’t recovered, treat your feet to a soak at the end of the night. “Bathe your feet in warm water with a few drops of peppermint oil for 5 minutes and gently towel dry. Then using Carnation PediRoller (£9.99, www.firstaidfast.co.uk) that has been left in the fridge overnight, roll your feet back and forth for 5 minutes each,” explains Carnation Foot care podiatrist Dave Wain.
Show your feet some TLC with a quick massage. “Gently massage them in long strokes towards the heels with What Skin Needs Cracked Skin Cream (£12.99, whatskinneeds.co.uk). This cream is beneficial for smoothing out rough skin on the heel and also promotes elasticity on this area of the foot, leaving the skin feeling fresher and smoother,” explains Barns.
5. …and relax!
Treat your body to a soak, which can help relax muscles and loosen stiff joints. Try adding some Epsom Salts, which in water, breaks down into magnesium and sulphate and these get into your body through your skin. They also often have oils, colours and scents to relax you and soften your skin.
