Run, Recover, Repeat: How To End Your Run The Right Way

The importance of post-workout recovery is well-known in the athletic community. Unfortunately, it is also well-known that many athletes skip this step after a hard workout in the gym or a long run. Dismissing the value of recovery damages athletic performance in the long term.¹ In this article, we dive into the importance of recovery for runners and how to end your run the right way.

Cooldown

Runners understand the value of a good warm-up. For most, this is a step that physically cannot be skipped. The body requires a period of low-intensity, easy movement to transition into the core of the run that is faster, higher effort, and more fatiguing.

At the end of the run, however, the desire to return home and sit (or flop on the floor in pure exhaustion) often wins over a proper cooldown. Transitioning too quickly from medium/high-intensity movement to no movement may seem like a harmless act. However, it can have severe, even life-threatening consequences.

Blood Pooling

Runners who skip the cooldown period of their workout put themselves at risk for cardiovascular consequences. Often runners who skip the cooldown will feel a sense of lightheadedness or dizziness.² Despite common belief, this is not simply due to the fatigue after a good run.

If you halt your exercise routine suddenly without a proper cool-down, your muscles will cease their vigorous contractions abruptly. This can lead to blood pooling in your lower extremities because the muscles have greatly reduced the speed at which they are pumping blood back to the heart and brain.³ Consequently, you might feel dizzy and lightheaded, and in some cases, it can lead to Exercise Associated Collapse (EAC).

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibers. Typically DOMS occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise. This is a normal response to exercise, especially after resistance training or trying a new workout. However, severe DOMS can be quite uncomfortable and may disrupt a consistent exercise routine. Persistent soreness lasting more than two to three days might indicate overtraining, illness, or potential injury.

In the running community, the main consequence of DOMS lies in compensation. When muscles are sore the body changes its natural pattern of movement to avoid the pain of using the sore muscles. Compensating for the aching muscles can result in improper or unnatural running form leading to injury.

How To End Your Run The Right Way

Developing the habit of cooling down after a run while will allow you to perform better on future runs. The good news is that a proper cooldown does not require a large time commitment. A very slow jog for 1-2 minutes, followed by light-to-brisk walking for 3-5 minutes is all it takes to avoid blood pooling. The slow transition from fast-paced movement back to walking or sitting allows your heart to return to its normal rhythm slowly and naturally.

Avoiding sore muscles post-run can also be accomplished by a short cooldown. Studies have shown the best method to avoid DOMS is a 5-15 minute cooldown after exercising followed by a massage.⁴ Now, of course, getting a professional massage after every workout is not practical (or affordable). A foam roller or massage gun are both great ways to get a post-run massage without having to hire a personal massage therapist. After a slow jog, a brief walk, and a little massage you will have ended your run the right way!

Supporting Research

1. Optimize Athleticism: Importance of Recovery Days For Improved Athletic Results. Human Health Co. (2024, June 28). https://humanhealthco.com/optimize-athleticism-importance-of-recovery-days-for-improved-athletic-results/ ↩︎
2. Tri-City Medical Center. (2018, December 29). Why warming up and cooling down is important – tri-city medical center. Tri-City Medical Center. https://www.tricitymed.org/2016/12/warming-cooling-important/#:~:text=Blood%20Pooling&text=This%20can %20cause%20blood%20to,and%20you%20may%20even%20faint. ↩︎
3. PennMedicine.org. (n.d.). https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/musculoskeletal-and-rheumatology/2017/february/injury-prevention-three-cool-down-steps-for-runners#:~:text=An%20immediate%20consequence%20of%20abruptly,can%20pool%20in%20the%20extremities. ↩︎
4. Cheung K, Hume P, Maxwell L. Delayed onset muscle soreness: treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Med. 2003;33(2):145-64. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200333020-00005. PMID: 12617692. ↩︎