Why Your Post Workout Affects Tomorrow's Workout

What you do after your workout is often times even more important than what you did for you workout. Whoa. That is a big deal! If you aren't taking care of your body after you run, your body is not going to take care of you during your runs. If you want to lessen your fatigue and soreness and decrease your recovery time, you need to be doing the right things within fifteen to twenty minutes of finishing your workout.

The mistake most runners, including myself, often make is to stop as soon as you are done running. You are going at a good pace and then suddenly come to a dead stop?! Your muscles are bound to tighten up immediately! When you finish a run, don't stop and just stand there. Walk around until your heart rate lowers and your breathing returns to normal. By normal I mean you can carry on a conversation without gulping for air and you aren't panting like a dog anymore.

First off after your heart rate and breathing return to normal, you need to get some calories in you quick. A "rule" I heard somewhere was get in about 100 calories as soon as you can, especially on your harder workout days. The BEST recovery drink is chocolate milk. I know it sounds like it would be disgusting when you are panting at the finish wondering if you are going to be seeing your breakfast again....but it is so good for your body. To read about why check out this website http://www.refuelwithchocolatemilk.com/science/. It has all your chocolate milk science questions. Also, you can read this study if you are an exercise physiology nerd like me http://oakbrooksc.com/docs/stager_chocmilk_study.pdf

I've found it hard to stomach anything right after a run, but you can train your body to accept certain things. Lately I've been bringing a fruit leather or some fruit snacks to eat immediately after I finish. I can't even tell you how much of a difference I've noticed in reduced soreness and how I seem to not be tired the next day when I should be. It has also gotten a lot easier for me to eat after I finish because my body is used to it.

Another easy, quick calorie thing you can consume after a workout is Powerade or Gatorade. It's easy to stomach, refreshing, and it's got the calories you need. However, keep in mind you have to drink almost a whole Gatorade bottle to get 100 calories.

The next important thing to do within 15 minutes is stretch. I've talked about stretching before, you can find that post HERE. For a quick reminder, hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat it two to three times. Try and target each of these muscle groups: calves, shins (anterior tibialis), hamstrings, quadriceps, IT band (iliotibial tract), hips, and butt (all your gluteal muscles...minimus, medialis and maximus). You can be creative in stretching; if you have a sore muscle, experiment until you find a position that causes it to stretch. Don't do quick bouncy movements. With post-workout stretching everything should be nice, slow and relaxed.

I like include my ab workout as part of my post workout routine. It keeps me motivated to do it because I am getting it done as part of my time set aside for running; I don't have to find other time throughout the day to do it. For a good ab workout, check out my How to Get Sexy Abs post :) A few crunches in between your stretches can keep you from getting bored of stretching and not doing the quality your muscles need.

Next time you finish your workout, remember to take care of your body. Ask yourself how you want to be feeling tomorrow, instead of how you are feeling at the moment. Take care of your body and it will take care of you

The Scoop on Hydrating

Its summer. Its hot. You sweat a lot. And you are running. Thirsty much?? How do you stay properly hydrated as a runner? Why is it important?

According to the book Physiology of Sports and Exercise by Ph.D.'s David Costill and Jack Wilmore, "It has been estimated that we can survive losses of up to 40% or our body weight in fat, carbs and protein. But a water loss of 9-12% of body weight can result in death".


How can I stay hydrated?

So how to prevent this? Drink consistently throughout the day. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. Get one that you really like, it makes drinking a lot easier. I love my Camelbak water-bottle because it has a straw. If you hate drinking water then invest in some Crystal Light To-Go packets or some Propel To-Go packets. Also they have some stuff called Mio that is concentrated drops instead of powder. These things add flavor to your water without adding a lot of calories.

Also, weigh yourself before you go on your run. When you get back, wipe off all your sweat and weigh yourself again. Drink back at LEAST 80% of the amount of weight that you've lost to ensure you don't get dehydrated. So if you've lost 1.5 pounds, you would need to drink between 19 and 24 ounces of water (1 lb. = 16 oz.)

Why is staying hydrated so important?

Your bodily functions are controlled by your body fluids. An adequate water supply allows your body fluids to accomplish several tasks that are essential to exercise. When you are dehydrated, your cells malfunction and work inefficiently, sweating decreases causing heart rate and body temperature to increase, blood volume decreases and you have less blood to transport oxygen and glucose through your body (The Runner's Handbook, Bob Glover).

Your performance is affected by water loss as well. Without adequate fluid your exercise tolerance will show a pronounced decrease during long term activity. A study by the above mentioned Dr. Costill showed that a 2% loss of body weight results in nearly a 10% decline in exercise performance! Think hydrating properly is important yet?

How can I tell if I'm hydrated?

Check your pee. I know every one of you loves to stare at your pee before you flush right? ;) haha. The lighter your pee, the more hydrated you are. You want to aim for as light as possible. Also if you are always thirsty or feel chronically tired, add more water in your diet!

What should I drink?

Water is the best hydrater. You can drink flavored water if you can't stand plain water. Its easier to drink it when its cold too. Juice is fine, but it is a ton of calories and a ton of sugar without really giving you the hydration you need.

Should you drink sports drinks instead of water? Depends. Sports drinks have electrolytes, carbs and sodium in them. These are good because it helps you retain water. Also it is absorbed in the body up to 30% faster than plain water and waaay faster than juice or soda. Sports drinks were designed for intense training days, i.e. runs longer than 40min or a really intense workout. Don't just chug these things all day.


Stay safe, stay hydrated and enjoy the heat!! Remember you can get dehydrated when its cold too. Especially because you don't feel thirsty as often. But by the time you are thirsty, you are already getting dehydrated!

I used these two books as references for this post. I recommend both of them for any runner, but especially The Runner's Handbook. Awesome stuff there.