It may not be easy to get your miles if you have commitments at home, work full-time, and yet like spending time with your family and friends. Because runners are very self-aware, self-care for runners is where significant improvements may be achieved. This includes adjusting your sleep, doing some self-massage, and even getting a pedicure. This can help you become faster without running additional kilometers.
Get Ample Amount of Rest
That 4 a.m. run isn’t the most significant thing, you can do for your running. When you were up till midnight completing a work report, you went for a 5-mile run. Getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night will benefit your running habit the best. Also, don’t scrimp on sleep hygiene. Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg, authors of “Peak Performance,” both advise shutting off gadgets like phones or tablets (or at least keeping them out of the bedroom) and optimizing your bedroom to be cold, dark, and silent for the most excellent sleep. Even better if you can avoid coffee later in the day, limit alcohol to a few hours before bedtime, and avoid late-night sugary foods.
Much of our fitness gains are achieved in our downtime, not on the track, so if you don’t put in that recuperation time, you’re likely to plateau or even regress in your training. Most people need seven or more hours of good-quality sleep each night consistently. Getting adequate sleep is more than just getting enough hours of sleep.
It’s also critical to obtain enough quality sleep regularly so that you wake up feeling refreshed. Speak with your doctor if you often have difficulty sleeping – or if you frequently feel exhausted after sleeping.
Mix In Some Yoga
Whether you follow a particular regimen, attend a weekly class, or perform the stretches that feel right to you, including a yoga flow into your running practice not only keeps you flexible but also incorporates core strengthening. Consider it a clever method to include bodyweight strength training into your routine. The weekly lesson is ideal for some individuals, mainly if it can be done with a buddy.
However, for most runners, the easiest way to include yoga into their morning practice is to attempt to squeeze in 5–10 minutes of stretching. For additional inspiration, check out Erin Taylor’s “Hit Reset,” a book of yoga postures geared for athletic performance.
You’re undoubtedly feeling calmer if you did your “downward dog” yoga position today. You may feel better from head to toe if you practice yoga daily, regardless of your degree of skill. Yoga is beneficial to both physical and emotional wellness for individuals of all ages. In addition, whether you are undergoing treatment for an illness, recuperating from surgery, or living with a chronic disease, yoga may become an essential component of your treatment plan and possibly accelerate recovery.
Take Care of Your Feet
Your feet take a pounding as a runner. You may not want to expose your calloused feet or black toenails to a manicurist, but a scrub bucket full of water and Epsom salts, followed by a pumice stone to peel off some of the most demanding skin, can accomplish a lot. Don’t use the rock so hard that you altogether remove calluses, but keeping dead skin to a minimum provides for happy feet in the long term (pun intended).
Do you have dry skin? Apply the stone, apply a thick foot lotion, put on a pair of socks, and sleep your way to softer skin. However, if you feel like the symptoms are not only going away but getting worse, it might be time to consult with a reliable foot doctor; the sooner you fix minor problems, the less time you will be off your feet.
Check them for fresh cuts, warm sores, tender swelling, and visibly infected toenails from time to time. Permit them to sit in warm water, but don’t allow them to immerse themselves in water. Bathing with lotion, cream, or petroleum jelly daily is vital to keeping the skin well-hydrated. Between the toes, never use a moisturizer. To keep skin infection at bay, the skin must be dry. Wearing too constricting footwear may lead to a painful foot. If your shoes are causing you discomfort, then they’re not correctly fitting.
In addition to your regular pair of shoes, pack a pair of flats and a pair of flip-flops. No arch support is available. Frequently switching your footwear keeps you from becoming clogged or needing to replace worn-out items. Use a nail clipper to cut straight across and polish the edges to prevent the nail from growing into your skin.
While experts now believe that the post-workout protein window is more significant than previously thought, ensuring that your post-run meal has a substantial dosage of protein — at least 20 grams — is critical for promoting muscle development and recovery. If you know you aren’t excellent at meal planning, keeping an emergency package of whey protein on hand to add into a water bottle or smoothie can help keep your body functioning and mending correctly. If you’ve been trying to lose weight, adding protein post-run may be beneficial since we tend to gorge on carbohydrates later if we haven’t adequately fueled after our exercise.
