Follow-up

Welcome to the fourth session of our running programme, where we’ll look at what happens after we train: How cool-down works, what we should know about stretching and optimal recovery time.

Session 3 recap

In the last session, we learnt that a good pair of running shoes is our most important investment and that it’s best to buy them at a specialised shop. We now also know that running clothes should be breathable so that moisture is wicked away. We also shared the onion principle when dressing for colder weather, as well as the right way to warm up.

What happens during the cool-down ?

After a run, cooling down is very important. The point is to reduce your body’s stress reactions and recover more quickly. Cool-down also improves running performance in the medium term, but be careful! Moving from 100 to 0 is not recommended. Keep reading to find out more.

Although you’re no longer moving, your heart continues to beat quickly for quite a while. Blood accumulates in the muscles that you’ve just used, while the rest of the body is undersupplied with blood.

To stimulate recovery and relax the muscles, a cool-down period is needed to slowly reduce heart rate more and prevent muscle problems. After working out, It’s best to walk it off for a few minutes in order to loosen and stretch the muscles.

Cool down, but don’t freeze

After a running session, be sure to cool down, but do your best to keep your body warm. When it’s cold outside, don’t stay outdoors for long, but head inside and change damp, sweaty clothes for dry ones as soon as possible.

Your cool-down period could also be done indoors. A great way to relax the muscles is to take a warm shower or a hot bath.

If you have access to a sauna, it’s also a great option after training!

The open-window phenomenon

Running is beneficial for our health and immune system, but when we’ve had a hard workout, the immune system is vulnerable for a short while. This is known as the ‘open-window phenomenon’ and is often the reason why it’s easy to catch a cold after a period of physical exertion.

After a good workout, giving the body enough time to recover and protecting it from further risk is important. Take at least 1 day off between training and give your body the time it needs.

Eat up!

During a good run, the body loses fluids, but it’s easy to replenish them quickly by staying hydrated. What many of us forget is that our energy reserves have also been used up and also need to be replenished.

Eating foods rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals nourishes the muscles and boosts recovery. These same kinds of foods can help with weight loss, but avoid sweets and other empty calories that have no nutrients.

Why is stretching important?

After running, stretching exercises help the muscles relax. The increased blood circulation while stretching ensures that recovery moves faster.

Stretching also relaxes muscles that have tightened and possibly become tense during running. The connective tissue fibres (or fasciae) also benefit from stretching because it loosens up any scar tissue that’s formed because of the repeated motions we make while running.

Light, dynamic stretching is recommended after jogging. Make sure to include all muscle groups used (the glutes, thigh and lower leg muscles).

In the next session, we’ll take a deeper dive into the importance of stretching.

Why is recovery important?

Sometimes, less is more, and when it comes to recovery, this is all the more true. Even though you may feel great after training and want to keep going the next day, it’s wise to take a step back and think again.

Our bodies need recovery periods so that we can increase the body’s performance. Supercompensation is the body’s ability to not only reach its previous level of performance through recovery after exertion, but also its ability to surpass it.

Depending on the intensity of our training, breaks of different lengths are needed. Since muscles and tendons use recovery time to repair and strengthen themselves, when we don’t respect this, we risk a decline in performance and injury.

Challenge

Stretching should become a part of your training routine! After every workout, make time for cool-down exercises. Treat yourself and give your body enough time to recover in between training sessions.