Recovery Routine
I’ve been testing out many different things and timings to find what works best for me after a long trail run. It’s important to mention that I didn’t test out all these things at the same time. I tried out one after the other and in different combinations so I knew what really works for me.
For me it’s the following routine that speed up my recovery immensely:
Healthy vegan diet - Due to its anti-inflammatory components my body recovers incredibly quickly. I don’t have DOMS (sore muscles) anymore which allows me to add additional training sessions sooner.
Yin Yoga - The long and deep stretches make a real difference for me. Because you're holding the poses for a longer period of time than you would in other types of yoga, Yin Yoga helps you to stretch and lengthen those rarely-used tissues. I’ll do a 30 minute session at least once a week and especially the night before a long trail run. I have a Yoga poses card set, I play my own Yin Yoga playlist on Spotify, lit up some candles and an incense, roll out my Yoga mat and just do it. No Yoga studio or anything else needed. My body and especially my legs just feel so good the next morning.
Rest - Yes, rest days are important. It’s actually the time when the body is repairing and building up again. I take my rest times and rest days very seriously.
Massage gun - Hihi :) Yes, you read that right. I’ve got a massage gun at home which is such a treat! Well, a painful treat at times because it goes really deep into the tissue but it’s like getting a deep tissue massage. Easy to use on your own at home while watching Netflix.
After every trail run, I take a hot magnesium and sea salt bath for about 10 minutes. Magnesium is best absorbed through the skin as it goes directly into the muscles…yes, it’s correct, I prefer a magnesium bath over supplement tablets. That’s why a bath tub is a must when I look for places to stay ;)
Walking - I walk multiple times daily. However, on my rest day, I walk longer than usual. It may sound boring but walking calms down my mind, soul and body. It’s an integral part of my lifestyle and of my ‘active’ rest day.
Cold Water Immersion - Preferably I go into the sea for a cold sea dip (once the water has dropped below 10 degrees). During the summer I take short cold showers instead. Yes, I seriously do this because I got to experience the great mental and physical benefits, such as an immediate natural high, it help with sleeps, boosts your immune system, reduces muscle damage, etc.
Sleep - This is probably THE most important pillar for a good recovery and more importantly for a healthy and long lifestyle. If the quality and quantity of sleep is not sufficient, everything else is crumbling. It’s truly the basis for everything but we’re talking recovery in this article. After long or strenuous training sessions, I try to have a 20-40 min nap. Afterwards, I feel so much more rested and relaxed and I can clearly feel how this power nap has energised my body again.
I hope that this list contains a few new things you can try out. As I said above: I tried out many things, one at a time, and this is what currently works best for me. Now it’s time for you to play with your recovery.