Recovery After Running

Progression is all about mixing hard work with post run recovery. So, along with your long run in your armoury you also need to have a few days off.

In an ideal world, we’d have access to sports scientists and dietitians, who could monitor our levels of creatine kinase and cortisol and tell us when we’ve fully recovered and ready to race again. But that’s not available to many of us, so how can we best judge our own recovery?

Simple rules for post run recovery

1. You can run pain-free.
2. Your resting heart rate on walking isn’t elevated.
3. You can run longer without feeling tired.
4. Your motivation has returned.
5. And your running feels like fun again!

Running recovery tips

1. Rest days – It doesn't matter how frequently you like to run; it is important to have rest days. Post run recovery requires days off so your body can heal.
2. Sleep – Sleep is very important when it comes to post run recovery. Your body does a lot of its recovery while you sleep. Read our full guide to the important of sleep and running recovery.
3. Foam rollers or massage – A great way to help sore muscle heal is with massage. If you don’t want to spend money on a full massage, invest in a foam roller and use this to help your muscles recover.
4. Cold baths or showers – A cold bath might sound horrible, but it is proven to help your muscles and joints recover after running.
5. Stretching and yoga – Compliment your aerobic exercise with some stretching and yoga. A top running recovery tip we recommend is to attend a yoga class on one of your rest days.

For more information about running visit our tips and advice page.