7 Ways to Recover from Your Runs ...

For elite runner Paula Radcliffe and to nearly every other professional athlete, ice baths are a ritual part of recovery. Submerging your body in an ice bath post run can reduce inflammation of your joints, decrease lactic acid build up and speed the recovery process. Ice baths are one of the best ways to recover from your runs so make sure you include them.

Massages are an effective way to remove toxins from the body, increase circulation of the blood and speed the recovery process. For this reason, routine massages are in nearly every professional athlete's schedule. So do you get a massage after your intense runs?

A foam roller is an inexpensive piece of equipment that can help you work out muscle stiffness, stretch and aid in a speedier recovery. With just 15 minute a day of stretches using the foam roller you can see a tremendous difference in how much faster you will recover from your runs. So what are you waiting for, try a foam roller in your training.

To increase blood circulation and have a faster recovery after your runs, elevate your feet. Stack 2-3 pillows high and rest your feet on this. This will reduce inflammation and reduce the lactic acid build up that is attributed to muscle soreness.

Do you take a day off at least once a week? If you do not, this could be a missing key component of your training. A rest day allows your body a chance to fully heal and rebuild so that you can be a stronger run. So make sure you schedule 1-2 days off a week for rest.

Many professional runners do not just rely on massage as part of their training but also acupuncture. How would sticking a bunch of needles help you in recovery? Acupuncture relieves stress on the body and restores the natural motion of your muscle fibers, making this a great recovery tool for runners to try. Try this and see how your body responds post run.

Antioxidants, protein as well as complex carbohydrates are all an important part of the recovery process. Food has a medicinal value but only if you make the right choices. After my marathons I increase my antioxidant intake with berries and green shakes and I feel like I never even ran a 26.2 mile race just two days later. It's pretty miraculous what eating the right foods can do for you. Make sure you eat healthy so that you can experience these benefits.

So now that you have some more ways to help speed up the recovery process from your runs, what key methods will you try? Wishing you speedier runs and well-rounded training so that you can achieve all your running goals! Happy Running to you!