Post Marathon Recovery Tips

Huge congratulations to everyone who has run the marathon this weekend! We hope you are all recovering well and enjoyed the experience.

Here are a few tips if you are in recovery mode:

Rehydrate and refuel

Your muscles and body will be depleted of their glycogen stores and you will have lost more fluid than you realise.

Warm bath

Now you are nearing 24 hours post running, a warm bath may help relax and sooth tired muscles and increase the blood flow.

Keep moving

Gentle movements, a walk, or fluid movements to keep the muscles and joints mobile and stop stiffening up.

Following on from that – dynamic stretches are better than static stretches at this stage of recovery – taking your muscles gently and fluidly through their range of motion is much better than holding a static stretch. You can increase the level of stretching as the week goes on.

Avoid ibuprofen

NSAID’s stop the inflammation which is your body’s natural healing process -so this is not a good thing to take after running a marathon, or after a soft tissue injury. They inhibit your soft tissue recovery. They also stress your liver and kidneys which will already have been affected from the run.

Compression stockings

Can reduce swelling, stiffness and soreness.

Massage

Best after a couple of days rather than straight away.

Keep active – walking, swimming etc but have a rest from running. How long varies from person to person, but as a general rule give yourself a good week off actual running.

Finally, congratulations! You are an inspiration and should be very proud of yourself