09/17/2021
Just in time for racing season, here's some race recovery advice from our running specialist and physiotherapist 🏃🏼♀️
These tips are based on recent recovery research on what you should do next:
👉🏼 Take a little break from running!
The time varies from person to person. It largely depends on how far you ran and on how you're feeling. This little break can be anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks. But listen to your body! If you feel sluggish and fatigued it's probably best to wait a while longer. Start with easy runs first before adding speed back in.
👉🏼 Avoid ice and anti-inflammatories!
If you have muscle soreness or even an overuse injury from your recent race, you don't want to try to shut down your inflammation. This is how your body heals! It's there for a reason. It may feel good in the moment but you are actually delaying your recovery in the long run.
👉🏼 Get a massage if this is something that's helped you recover in the past but wait AT LEAST 48 hours after your event!
Your muscles are beat up and inflammed following a hard race. The last thing you need is someone driving hands and elbows in to them to irritate them even more! After 2-3 days it can be very beneficial to your recovery.
👉🏼 Focus on getting a good night sleep.
Recommended sleep is between 7-9 hours but after hard bouts of exercise you want to aim for 9 if possible! It will optimize your recovery and make you feel better faster.
👉🏼 Focus on a healthy well balanced diet.
I'm not a nutritionist! So I'm just going to leave this 5th point here. If you're not sure what a diet looks like that promotes healing and recovery I would suggest finding a dietician or nutritionist that specializes with runners!
