Boosting Your Recovery After Training Runs

Following on from our last post about staying injury-free whilst training for a marathon, we thought we would give you some tips to help aid your recovery process after training runs or a tough workout routine. It’s likely that if you’re running the London marathon in 2023, you’re a few weeks into your training plan now and you’re probably starting to experience some aches and pains. Running multiple times a week will take its toll on your body and it’s important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.

Proper active recovery is a key part of any training program and you will always thank yourself for taking the time for relief care for your muscles after a long run. Below we have put together a list of useful tips that can help you to improve your active recovery when you’re training for a marathon or any other physically demanding race.

Make sure you stretch

One of the most important things to do after your training runs is stretch. No matter how achy your muscles feel, stretching can help to promote blood flow and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness. Gentle stretching will also help your body to relax and recover much quicker after a training run. Your achy legs will feel better in both the short and long term when you stretch, and you can improve your mobility whilst maintaining your body’s overall fitness.

Drink plenty of water

Staying hydrated is key to muscle recovery and you should ensure you’re drinking plenty of water after a long run or post workout routine to replace the fluids lost from sweating. Dehydration can lead to a range of problems including; impaired performance and cramping, and drinking water can help you to recover quickly during your training. Try to eat a balanced diet rich in protein and carbohydrates as well, this can help to muscle growth for muscle groups and replenish your body’s energy stores.

Take some supplements

There are a few nutritional supplements you can take to help with your recovery after training runs and post workout as well. Things like protein supplements and fatty acid supplements can help to promote muscle recovery. We would also advise that you take magnesium supplements when you’re marathon training, these can help to reduce inflammation and sore muscles recover. Magnesium can also help to reduce muscle pain and improve muscle performance.

Continue with chiropractic relief care

We mentioned in our last post that visiting a chiropractor can be useful before you start training for a marathon to highlight any underlying problems. However, it’s beneficial to continue with chiropractic wellness care
throughout your training and having regular chiropractic adjustments can help to keep your muscles and joints healthy. Chiropractors work with the body’s natural ability to heal itself and a chiropractor can help to ease muscle tension post workout or long runs.

Book another massage

You should also continue to see a massage therapist during your training and regular sports massages can help to relieve muscle stiffness and relax tight muscles. A massage therapist can also help to heal common sports injuries like pulled and strained muscles, tendons and ligaments whilst you’re training. In addition to getting a professional massage after some long runs, it’s useful to invest in a foam roller that you can use at home to help with muscle recovery.

Use heat and/or ice

Using a heat pad and ice pack can be beneficial after training runs. Generally speaking, heat is used to help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness, and cold is used to reduce inflammation and injuries. The combination of heat and ice can help speed up endurance exercise recovery and keep your muscles healthy, so you’re ready for your next training session. Simply having a hot bath and then using an ice pack on any painful areas can make a big difference.

Get plenty of rest

We spoke about the importance of sleep in our last post, but we just wanted to reiterate how essential it is that you have rest days when you’re training for a marathon. Taking days off from running will allow your body to rest and recover from the strenuous and repetitive physical activity of training, and also help to reduce fatigue. Regular rest days can even help to improve your performance during long runs.

Searching for a chiropractor in Chertsey?

When you’re training for a marathon, the tips above can help you to improve your recovery between training runs and keep your body fit and healthy. If you would like to find out more about chiropractic care or you’re searching for a chiropractor in Chertsey, be sure to get in touch with us at ChiroCulture. We can provide you with the right treatments and support during your training plan for wellness care, and you will be in very good hands with our team.

You can turn to us in confidence when searching for a chiropractor in Chertsey knowing that we have worked with lots of different athletes over the years. From local football teams to mountain marathon runners in Vietnam, our experience is incredibly vast and we love helping people achieve their goals by optimising the body’s neuromuscular control and helping with ongoing wellness care.