Long walks have gained immense popularity recently. As we yearn to turn off our phones and reconnect with the world, even ambitious two-week-long walking adventures like from Leon to Santiago in Spain have become a popular vacation.
While these walks offer a lot of benefits, it is crucial to prioritise recovery after completing such endeavours. It’s also important in completing the entire journey if it stretches beyond just the day, as you need to be fighting fit for when you wake up. Here are the main ways to speed up your recovery…
Immediate Post-Walk Actions
After completing a long walk, it is essential to cool down gradually. Slowly reduce your walking pace and perform gentle stretches targeting the major muscle groups, particularly the legs and lower back. This helps prevent muscle stiffness and promotes flexibility.
Additionally, rehydration is vital to replace the fluids lost through sweat during the walk. Drink electrolyte-rich beverages to replenish your body’s fluid balance and support muscle recovery. Aim to consume fluids consistently in the hours following your walk.
Nutrition for Recovery
Proper nutrition plays a bigger role in post-walk recovery than people think. Consuming enough calories is important, as having a calorie deficit is the biggest cause of being tired the next day. These calories should ideally be made up of protein, to help muscle repair, and carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen. Of course, just a healthy and balanced meal will do, but having anti-inflammatory foods like berries and leafy greens could also help reduce muscle inflammation.
Advanced Recovery Techniques
There are some more advanced things to consider for recovery, though these are less important than the above. Massage tools, such as footballs or foam rollers, can be used to stimulate blood flow and relieve tension in the feet and leg muscles. Rolling the soles of your feet over a football helps alleviate tightness and promotes relaxation.
Compression gear, such as compression socks or sleeves, can aid in reducing muscle soreness and swelling by improving circulation and providing support to the legs. A recently popular technique is cold water immersion, such as taking an ice bath or applying ice packs. This can be beneficial for muscle recovery as it constricts blood vessels and reduces inflammation.
Ultimately, though, the best way to recover from a walk is in preparation. In other words, to have already put in the miles previously. While this may seem useless to know if you’re currently feeling the effects of a long walk, it can help move forward to help sustain a good level of activity. For example, you should put in a few weeks of walking practice before heading off on a Camino de Santiago trail.
Conclusion
Incorporating effective recovery techniques after a long walk can help you get back to full fitness much faster. You can do this through good sleep, enough calories and nutrition, along with cold showers and massages. But, ultimately, practice is the best way to avoid DOMS, as your muscles and joints will grow used to the activity.
