RunThrough Newsletter – Monday 1st May

The purpose of recovery is to restore the body’s physiological and psychological functions, so you can compete and train again at the appropriate level. We look at RUNNA‘s top recovery tips to get you ready for your next challenge!

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1. Sleep
There is no secret to knowing the importance of sleep in relation to recovery. Rest is an essential part of helping your body repair and restore its body battery, aka the nervous system. It is important that you aim to get 8 hours sleep per night – this needs to be a consistent lifestyle habit in order to reap the benefits. If you are struggling to sleep, try eating dinner a little earlier, limit your screen time before bed and make sure  you listen to your body when you need more than 8 hours.

2. Diet and Protein intake
Protein has been proven to speed up recovery by helping repair the small muscle tears and ease soreness. The suggested serving is 1.6-2g per kg of bodyweight daily. When you increase your intensity, it is vital to ensure that your protein intake is higher to allow the body to repair itself. If you struggle to get the recommended serving in, adding a protein shake daily is an easy hack.

3. Hydration
Hydration is not only important for recovery, but it is essential to allow your body to carry out its daily functions. A human’s body is comprised of mostly water, so it is essential to stay hydrated and to maintain the balance of electrolytes, wash out toxins, transport nutrients to the cells and helps regulate body temperature. On a day-to-day basis, it is recommended you consume approximately 2-3L of water per day. When exercising, this needs to be increased to take into account fluid loss through sweat. It is also vital you hydrate throughout training and after and remember that everyone’s requirements are different.4. Warm up and cool down
If you find yourself not recovering properly, this could be down to you not completing your warm ups and cool downs effectively – therefore leading to an increased risk of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). If you need ideas, head to our tutorials here. Additionally look at joining one of our weekly free mobility classes.

5. Strength Training 
Adding strength training into your weekly running routine will be a game changer. As your strength improves, you will find that your legs will not fatigue as quickly, due to being better able to withstand the load that comes from running.

6. Rest Days
Rest days are crucial in your recovery journey. Rest days allow your body to repair and recover, allowing the adaptations from your training to occur. It is important that you listen to your body and don’t overdo it when your legs are tired. Be prepared to move your sessions around – there is no shame in this. If you find that your legs are always fatigued and sore from running, we would advise that you look at decreasing the number of days you train, or dropping your ability level and thus overall weekly milage.

7. Stack the 1%s
By this we mean the things such as salt baths, ice baths, massage guns, CBD balm, foam-rolling and compression tights. None of these will dramatically change your recovery overnight, however if you consistently practice recovery and stack these 1%s, it will eventually build up to a quicker recovery. Head to the offers section on our app to gain discounted access to leading recovery and wellness brands.

Finally, it is important to remember that recovery is different for everyone, just like how everyone is different when it comes to the mileage that their bodies can withstand. You should consistently be trying to follow the above advice in order to put yourself in the best possible position to reach your potential and not burn out.

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