Ah, recovery. Something we all know we should prioritize more, but is so easy to skip. 

Chances are you're one of two types of people:

1. The person who wants to plop on the couch and stay up late watching the latest prestige drama.

2. The busy bee who spends the entire day running around at lightning speed and doesn’t pencil in time to recover after a run. 

Believe it or not, both types are putting themselves at risk for injury if they are starting a new walking/running program! 

What most people don’t realize about recovery is: Recovery is equally as important as exercise. 

Think of it as a balance. If you do 3 hours of exercise in a week, you need to balance those 3 hours with an equal amount of rest. If you’re up too late watching TV or scrolling, you won’t get it – and if you’re running around all day and never sit down, you won’t either!

Here are 3 ways your body needs to recover after exercise:

1. SLEEP
   
   Sleep is underrated, but it is the MOST important factor in your recovery.  If you aren’t sleeping enough, nothing else you do for recovery will matter. 
   
   How much sleep is enough? 
   
   For an active person starting something new like running, you should aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night, on average. If you get 6 hours one night, don’t worry! Just make sure you get 7-9 the next, and your body will automatically compensate. 
   
   What happens during sleep?
   
   When your body enters a deep stage of sleep, your glands release a growth hormone that stimulates muscle repair and growth. If you don’t get the rest your body needs, the muscles you worked during your run don’t have the opportunity to repair themselves. 
   
   Sleep has dozens of other benefits, too long to list here, but said simply: Sleep is when your body heals, rebuilds, and promotes the proper function of your body’s immune system.
   
   Prioritizing sleep will give your body more time for all those muscle tissues to restore and grow. This is essential for those whose goal for running is to get stronger!
   

2. NUTRITION
   
   After sleep, what you put into your body as fuel is the second most important factor in your recovery. There are two aspects to nutrition: refueling with food, and hydrating with fluids. 
   
   REFUEL - When you run, you are primarily burning carbohydrates. Therefore, your body needs you to replenish those by eating healthy carbs like whole grain bread, cereals, and grains. Fruits are also a great source of healthy sugar, which your body converts to energy just like carbs. 
   
   Be careful with other sugars, though! Processed sugar spikes your glucose levels, which leads to inflammation and can cause other problems. Limit processed sugar to a small sweet treat after a good meal.
   
   You also need to eat protein, which provides the building blocks to repair your muscles (while you sleep!). Protein plays a significant role in building and repairing the muscle tissues that were broken down during the run. Protein also will make you feel full and satisfied, so you don’t feel like you need that late-night bowl of ice cream or the candy bar in the middle of the day. 
   
   REHYDRATE - Your body needs water to replace the sweat you lost during your walk or run. But it also needs electrolytes to help absorb that water. Salt is an electrolyte, which is why I always crave salty snacks like chips or pretzels after a run. 
   
   Healthier sources of electrolytes are found in sports drinks like Shaklee Performance, which is the drink I prefer since it is all natural and has no extra sugar. The best way to rehydrate is actually to PRE-hydrate. Drink 8 ounces of water about 30 minutes before you go out to walk or run, and have a few ounces every 30 minutes you are out. 
   
   Your body loses water content during physical activity, even if you don’t feel like you’re sweating, so rehydrating your body with water first will reduce the risk of dehydration. 
   

3. REST
   
   Once you’ve slept 8 hours and fueled your body with nutritious food, you need to let your body recover with rest. You know, that thing we all want to do all the time: sit (or lie) down, watch a show with a loved one/snacks, and CHILL!
   
   For those of us with a job that requires us to be on our feet most of the day, it’s especially important to sit and rest as you’re starting to build more walking and running into your life. 
   
   More time on your feet means less time for blood flow to effectively repair and heal your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

To sum it up, you need a healthy balance of recovery to exercise in order to stay healthy mentally and physically. The three core elements of recovery are sleep, nutrition, and rest. If you get enough of those three, you can safely increase your walking, running, and other exercises without fear of getting hurt! 

If you’re a beginner runner and you’re not sure how to get started, we are here to help! 

Our program, “The Running Start” is for new runners who want a supportive group environment, expert coaching, and customizable training plans that actually work. 

To learn more, click here to schedule a call with Coach Colin