Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Dublin Marathon this weekend.
By Johnny Loughrey, JT Physio
Whether you took on the half or full Marathon, it’s a fantastic accomplishment and you should be feeling very proud.
Running a Marathon is no easy task as it takes a serious toll on our body. After completing a half or full Marathon, we need to ensure that we follow the right steps to ensure we give the body time to recover and repair.
I’ve outlined some tips to help aid body repair and recovery. The tips are relevant to both seasoned runners and absolute beginners. If you’ve got a niggle or want to get some professional advice, get in touch with the team at JT Physiotherapy, Letterkenny.
Hot Bath
Soaking in a hot bath for 10/15 minutes will help relax your muscles. After a Marathon we need to expel toxins in our body and a bath is a good way to do that. You should also add in Epsom Salts which are available in almost every health shop and supermarket. Make sure you don’t do this straight away after a race or training as your body needs time to cool down.
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Once you come out of the bath, it’s a prime time to stretch your muscles. Gentle stretches and movement is key to recovery post-race/training. If you’re unsure how to stretch the muscles properly talk to a Chartered Physiotherapist who will be able to guide you on what muscles to stretch without doing any damage.
Continue to Eat Well
Restoring depleted glycogen stores (energy stores) should be a priority immediately after the Marathon. Chances are that in the lead up to the Marathon you were increasing carbohydrate intake to ensure you had adequate glycogen stores for the big event. In the days that follow, a higher carbohydrate diet will help restore your glycogen stores. Eating moderate amounts of protein (meat, dairy, fish) with the carbohydrate can help with this uptake too and you need to remember to stay hydrated!
If you’re struggling with a food plan or not sure what foods to eat, our in-house Nutritionist, Liam Leech, can help by advising you on how to create a healthy diet plan and tailor it to your specific needs.
Soft Tissue Massage/Deep Tissue Massage
A soft tissue massage or a deep tissue massage can help loosen out sore muscles, flush out toxins and lactate acid and improve blood flow. Massages are used by top racing professionals and sports people of all levels worldwide. The days following a Marathon is an excellent time to gain benefits from a soft tissue massage. You can choose between 30 or 60 minute appointments depending on if you just want to loosen out your legs or if you want the benefits of a full body massage.
Keeping Active
Once you’ve completed the Marathon, our advice is to avoid running for a period of time. Depending on your fitness pre-Marathon this can be from one week or two to give your body time to recover. If you want to keep active you can go for a walk or alternatively, you could incorporate cross-training like swimming or cycling.
When you do start back running, your training progression should be a gradual process. Start off slowly and build it up. If you don’t allow the body time to recover, you could pick up a nasty injury. If you have any niggles hanging around, it’s easier to get this addressed early on.
Injury or Niggles
If you have picked up a niggle or injury during training or during the Marathon, professional advice from a Chartered Physiotherapist can help to steer you in the right direction. It may be something small and easy to rehabilitate. We believe that prevention is always better than cure. By addressing the problem early you’re less likely to suffer in the future.
JT Physiotherapy – Move Better, Feel Better
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