Your post run routine can be just as important as your training, so here are some things you can do after your running.

What To Do After Running

Just as a <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/warm-up-for-runners/">warm up </a>gets your body ready for exercise, a cool down helps your body to get back to that state of rest.A cool down will help your <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/how-to-breathe-while-running/">breathing </a>and heart rate slow down, and your muscles relax. It also helps your body to eliminate <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/lactate-threshold-training/">lactic acid </a>and waste products from its muscles by aiding blood flow to those areas.

#1: Cool Down

Stretching can be one of the most beneficial things to incorporate into your post run routine.<ul><li>Prevent <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/running-injuries/">Injuries </a>  – Some of the most common injuries happen in conjunction with the knees and ankles – both of which can be prevented with some regular stretching. </li><li>It’s no secret muscles need to be warmed up before physical activity, but the reasons behind it are that stretching improves muscle flexibility and helps prepare them for the workload they’re about to take on.</li></ul>Static stretches are the way to go post-run. Focus the main chunk of your stretching routine on your legs.

#2: Stretch

In <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2013/03000/An_Acute_Bout_of_Self_Myofascial_Release_Increases.34.aspx">a study </a>by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , researchers found that foam rolling for just one minute can improve an athletes range of motion , while<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24343353/">another study </a>published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that foam rolling after intense exercise can relieve <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/doms-guide-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness/">muscle soreness </a>over the next two days. Foam rolling can also increase a runner’s mind-body connection. Working out where all of those tight spots are in your body gives you the opportunity to work on easing them.

#3: Foam Roll

This one sounds obvious, and it should be. As you run you sweat. This makes your skin the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Getting straight into the shower after a run is a great way to wash off any unhealthy (and smelly) bacteria. Showering also helps to clean your pores.

#4:  Shower

Water is essential for life, it makes up 60% of your body weight and plays a key role in almost all of your the human body’s functions. So it’s important to <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/hydration-for-runners/">stay hydrated </a>. It is normal for you to be modestly dehydrated when you get back from a run, as long as you replenish your stocks as soon as possible. For every kilogram of body weight that you lose via dehydration, the advice is that you drink one and a half litres of water.

#5: Drink Water

As a rule of thumb, you should try to eat a meal or snack as quickly as possible after getting back from a run. More specifically, aim to eat within 30-60 minutes of getting back from your run. Make sure that your meal or snack contains <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/11-great-carbohydrate-sources-for-runners/">carbohydrates </a>, to replenish your lost glycogen stores, and<a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/protein-for-runners/">protein </a>, to help repair and rebuild your muscles. Registered dietitian <a href="https://cheerfulchoices.com/">Mackenzie Burgess  </a>spoke to Marathon Handbook;

#6: Refuel

Elite athletes are a big fan of this one. Ok, so this one is non-essential but if you’re brave, it could help to boost your recovery. Fans of the ice bath purport that taking a dip in an ice bath can help to relieve muscle soreness and fatigue. This has been supported by <a href="https://www.cetcryospas.com/cold-tub/ice-bath-research/">various studies </a>, but on the whole, the research is inconclusive. So if you don’t feel like making an ice bath a regular part of your post run routine, don’t worry!

#7: Take An Ice Bath (optional)

<a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/sleep/">Sleep </a>is king when it comes to running recovery. Ultrarunner and running coach <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/who-is-zach-bitter/">Zach Bitter </a>highlights the importance of sleep, Performing at your peak isn’t all just about the training you do, it is also highly dependent on your quality of sleep.

#8: Sleep

Unsure of what to do after a run in the days following? The day after a big running day, getting in an <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/rest-day-workouts/">active recovery </a>workout can help you bounce back quicker. Active recovery workouts are low-intensity exercise sessions that get your body moving. Some examples of active recovery workouts include <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/yoga-and-running/">yoga </a>, gentle pilates, <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/power-walking/">walking </a>, <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/aqua-jogging/">aqua jogging </a>, easy <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/swimming-for-runners/">swimming </a>or <a href="https://marathonhandbook.com/cycling-for-runners/">cycling </a>, or even low effort shorter runs. It may sound counterintuitive, but active recovery can often be much more beneficial for recovery than doing nothing at all.

#9: Recovery days/runs

Post running routine is as important as training itself.

It's easy to finish a run and simply bask in that post-run endorphin high. But in many ways, your post run routine can be just as important as your training.

The Best Post-Run Routine: Do These 9 Things After Every Run

Dimitris Rammos