A guide to active recovery for runners

By Henry Howard

For my athletes I generally prescribe one or two active recovery days each week. Active recovery days can incorporate a variety of movements that are lower-impact and less stressful than running.

Examples of active recovery include walking, swimming, yoga, hiking, biking or using the elliptical. It’s worth noting that they do not include running or using weights because those types of workouts don’t allow the body to recover.

The recovery efforts are performed following a strenuous workout, block or training day to promote recovery from the hard effort. They go a long way in helping the runner recover, adapt and grow stronger. Here are some questions and answers about active recovery:

Question: How does active recovery help a runner?

Answer: While running strengthens the body, builds cardio and improves mental wellness, it also adds physical stress. The repetitive motion creates microscopic tears to your muscle fibers and connective tissues, a normal part of becoming stronger.

The tissue damage sets into motion repair work in the body, dispatching blood carrying oxygen, nutrients, new cells and proteins toward the damaged muscle fibers to begin healing. While the body repairs itself, it also needs your assistance.

That means giving your body enough clean protein and healthy carbohydrates to promote recovery as well as down time before another vigorous workout takes place.

This is the same process bodybuilders use: tear the muscles, fuel the recovery, then rest that part of the body. Rinse, repeat.

And that’s where active recovery comes into play.

Question: What are the primary benefits of active recovery?

Answer: There are numerous benefits of active recovery workouts, which include the removal of acidic metabolic waste products and cellular debris from your muscles, as well as increasing circulation to muscles and connective tissues.

Active recovery also reduces muscle fatigue while ‌increasing flexibility and preventing muscle and joint stiffness, which helps improve your range of motion. This allows you to focus on other aspects of your fitness, such as flexibility and kinesthetic awareness.

And, last but not least, the movement goes a long way in improving mood, building mental stamina and developing self-discipline.

Question: What are the best active recovery exercises?

Answer: The best one is the one that motivates the athlete to perform an activity defined as active recovery. Some of my runners prefer one type of movement, while others like to do a variety over the course of a training plan. Pick whichever one or ones work best for you.

Here are some examples of active recovery for runners:

• Walking or hiking.

• Cycling.

• Swimming.

• Yoga.

• Pilates.

• Pool running.

• Elliptical.

• Tai Chi.

  
  

Question: What should the effort level be in the activity I choose?

Answer: Keep your heart rate at or below 70% of your maximum, ideally around 60%. You should not be raising your heart rate even in short intervals, like you would for speedwork during a running session.

Generally keep the duration to no more than an hour, though an easy hike of two hours would be beneficial.

Most importantly, listen to your body. During active recovery sessions, you should not feel like you are increasing fatigue or further inflaming an injury or soreness that you may have been dealing with.

Keep in mind, the goal of these movements is to propel your body to recover more quickly so that you can be ready to crush that next running workout.