How to Properly Recover After a Marathon
How to Properly Recover After a Marathon
Running a marathon is great stress on your entire body. As soon as you reach the finish line, you probably feel ready to fall down right there from exhaustion. Even if you don’t come first, the emotions you feel are priceless. Either way, it’s a goal and victory over your body and mind because sports are so much more than just physical exercises.
Even if you were preparing to run a marathon for a long time, your body will still be affected by such amount of strain. It will need to recover afterward and will need your help in doing so. Below are tips to help you feel better after running a marathon.
Running a marathon is great stress on your entire body. As soon as you reach the finish line, you probably feel ready to fall down right there from exhaustion. Even if you don’t come first, the emotions you feel are priceless. Either way, it’s a goal and victory over your body and mind because sports are so much more than just physical exercises.
Even if you were preparing to run a marathon for a long time, your body will still be affected by such amount of strain. It will need to recover afterward and will need your help in doing so. Below are tips to help you feel better after running a marathon.
What Happens to Your Body After Running a Marathon?
For you to understand better what are the most crucial needs for your body after such stress, look through this list.
Dehydration
This need should be tamed immediately. You should provide your body with enough water in the first few minutes after you’ve finished your marathon and keep hydrating until the end of the day. Stay away from alcohol though, it is a dehydrating substance that won’t let your body receive all the water it needs.
Sugar drop
Your sugar level is reduced because your body uses the glycogen to help you make it to the finish. Giving it some healthy carbs will prevent you from a hypoglycemic coma. Fruits are the best food products to eat after a marathon. Eat healthy food rich in slow carbs till the end of the day.
Muscular damage
Your muscles worked at their hardest and they may have received tiny tears from the extra strain they went through. It can sound like a paradox but to avoid this, you shouldn’t stop suddenly but reduce your mobile activity gradually. Even if you want to lay down and die after you’ve run your marathon, force yourself to walk around for 15 minutes. Believe us, you won’t regret it! This will prevent pain and muscular damage.
Immunity decrease
The extra strain is hard on our immune system. After a marathon, you are especially vulnerable to infections. This is why the best thing you can do is to stay in a warm dry place, ideally, go home and get some rest.
What to Do With Pain?
It’s normal to feel some pain after a long run, especially if it was your first marathon. It can be severe or light. Some runners even need marathon recovery treatment. To relieve the pain, you can do the following things.
- Move! Walk, stretch or do any other moderate physical activity.
- Take a bath with Epsom salt.
- Gentle massage performed by a specialist.
- Eat well. Be sure that your diet has enough vitamins and proteins. It should be satiating but not too heavy.
Your comeback to training should be gradual. You need a couple of weeks to fully restore and be ready for hard workouts. Start running from small distances. Be kind to yourself, you deserve some rest.
If you are too sore to train, don’t torture your body. If your pain doesn’t become weaker in a week, you should see a pain specialist.