Stages of Recovery

In this video, you will learn how to recover after exercising.

The recovery phase is essential in order to reap all the benefits from your run.

It allows you to guarantee the effectiveness of your training and to avoid injuries.

We are going to look at the two main stages of recovery: immediate recovery and delayed recovery.

First, immediate recovery.

To cool down after your run, jog and then walk for 10 minutes. This is the amount of time it takes for the body to finish sweating and return to a calm state.

Keep well-hydrated by drinking water and fruit juice.

Eat a banana or an energy bar to replenish your sugar levels.

Massage yourself to ease any muscular tensions.

To learn how to massage yourself, you can watch our video 'Recover better through self-massaging'

Secondly, the delayed recovery.

Later that same day and in the days following your run, do some static stretching sessions to help loosen up your muscles.

To learn how to stretch, you can watch our video "Instructions for stretching".

Plan at least one rest day between your training sessions.

This allows you to prevent potential injuries and enables your body to assimilate the efforts of your previous sessions in order to progress.

Finally, combine your running sessions with other sports, like swimming or cycling. In doing this, you can work other muscles, whilst allowing those used for running to rest.

The two stages of recovery, immediate and delayed, are essential to make the best of your training sessions.

Over to you!