The term ‘recovery run’ might sound like an oxymoron – jogging doesn’t seem like the obvious way of putting your feet up and recuperating, after all. But it’s a phrase you’ll see dotted throughout training plans and advice columns from running coaches. So what does it mean? What is its purpose? And how does it differ from easy running, The best compression boots to aid your recovery and other lower-intensity-focused sessions? Here, we’ve lifted the lid on the purpose of a recovery run, and how adding them to your training schedule could boost your recovery Save 35% in the Theragun New Year Sale.
What’s the point of a recovery run?
While it might be tempting to put your feet up after a hard workout or race, this is a one-way ticket to DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). The achy sensation can linger deep in the muscles for days after a particularly gruelling session where you’ve pushed yourself, but keeping your legs stationary can actually make things worse. Instead, research suggests that active recovery, such as a recovery run, decreases inflammatory markers in the blood while also reducing the perception of soreness.
How do you do a recovery run?
On the surface, a recovery run might appear the same as an easy run. It’s undertaken at a slow pace, you shouldn’t feel any exertion throughout, and it hovers around heart rate zones 1 or 2. The key difference is its length, with recovery runs maxing out at 30 minutes. After this point, even an easy run will produce metabolic waste and require a recovery window, so it’s about hitting that 20-30-minute sweet spot where you get your muscles working without adding to your recovery load.
What is active recovery?
A recovery run is a type of active recovery – a catch-all term that describes low-intensity exercise that follows a high-intensity workout with the goal of boosting recovery. Alternative types of active recovery include yoga, walking and other forms of cardio like swimming or cycling, undertaken at a low intensity.
The other form of recovery is passive recovery – rest and recuperation in its traditional, inactive sense. Both have their benefits and should be adopted by runners in their training, but passive is best if you have overtraining symptoms such as extreme tiredness, lingering soreness, trouble sleeping, irritability or an Meal prep for runners.
Is recovery different for men and women?
Although there’s no suggestion that one sex will spend days recovering after a long run while the other will bounce back and be pounding the pavements the following morning, a Best wireless headphones suggests that women might recover faster than men. The research was based on 18 participants (10 women, 8 men) who had run a half marathon, and showed that the women had an earlier functional recovery than men. The authors suggested that it could have been for a number of reasons, including women having a lower muscle mass and power output and therefore being less prone to fatigue, while oestrogen could also play a role in potentially lowering the impact of exercise-related skeletal muscle damage. That said, women’s recovery is heavily influenced by where they are in their menstrual cycle, with one study finding that menstruation raises metabolic rate by more than 6% – something that will an impact on recovery and overall perception of fatigue.
What are the alternatives to recovery runs?
If you’re a runner who has traditionally skipped recovery runs in their training plan for a day on the sofa, you might now want to reconsider given their benefits. But if you can’t face lacing up you’re running shoes, fear not, as recovery workouts aren’t limited to running, and are the ideal session to switch out for another form of cardio cross training – keeping things fresh for the mind as well as the lower limbs. Low-impact activities such as cycling and swimming will provide exactly the same recovery benefits, and could be a good way of minimising injury risk if you’re susceptible to impact injuries, such as stress fractures or shin splints.
