Five Tips for Successful Recovery after a Run

Success in running is all about determination, focus, and persistence. The most important think you need to concentrate on is simply getting your feet back out on the pavement every week, pushing yourself to reach better lengths and/or better times. But as far as your body is concerned, your personal growth won’t happen as you’re running. Muscles improve and fat is burned even while you sleep. That’s why it’s crucial to understand not just how to run, but how to recover from a run to maximize its effectiveness. Here are five tips to help you do it the right way.

Tip #1: Realize how recovery works.
When you run or lift weights, what you are doing is essentially breaking down areas of your body that you would like to improve. It seems strange to "break down" areas you wish were stronger, but that's how your body works. It will see the small muscle tears you've made and do its best to not only replace them, but make them stronger for next time. Over a long period of time, this adds up to some serious cumulative results. Your job as a runner is to essentially "get" your body to recover the right way.

Tip #2: Eat plenty of lean protein.

If you want your muscles to rebuild, one of the best ways to do it is to eat muscle – protein. Poultry makes great lean protein for runners (chicken and turkey), as do egg whites and nuts. If your body is going to rebuild the breakdown in your muscles, it will need the building blocks to do it with.

Tip #3: Get plenty of sleep and rest.

When you have a good night’s sleep, your body is regenerating – not just mentally, but physically. Treat your sleep time with consistency, and try to give yourself a good 7-8 hours every night. If you feel tired enough to go to bed early, indulge your body’s desire.

Tip #4: Eat a post-workout meal.

Once you’re done working out, your body is already making changes. A good post-workout meal should include some healthy sugar (such as fruit) that you might have burned during the workout, not to mention a good lean meat.

Tip #5: Give yourself a day – but not too long.

You’ll need to give yourself ample time to recover from a run, but you don’t want to start using “recovery” as an excuse to lag behind. It’s usually a good idea to give yourself a day or two, but do it for the recovery and rest, not to be lazy. After all, you don’t technically build up rust, but it will feel like you do!

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