When planning our athletic goals, so much time is dedicated to developing the correct training plan that we often forget to schedule in time for adequate recovery.

What you do in the first 24-48 hours after your hard sessions can either assist your recovery or slow it down, so it makes sense to devote some time to getting it right.

Here are my Top 5 Tips:

1. Hydrate. Get your recovery off to a flying start by hydrating with water as soon as you're done exercising. If you've sweated, it's best to add an electrolyte supplement. I personally use nuun as it is sugar free.

2. Foam Roll. Using a foam roller for a few minutes after your hard sessions has been proven to reduce soreness. Roll over the major muscle groups such as the quads, ITB, calf, hamstrings and addcutors. And be prepared for a bit of discomfort, just keep breathing and think of then many benefits! Grab your free foam roller e-book here.

3. Move. Walking and doing some light core Pilates exercises will help promote blood flow through your muscles and help flush out the lactic acid. Getting oxygen through your muscles will promote recovery.

4. Stretch. A gentle, restorative Yoga practice will help maintain the suppleness in your tissues. This will avoid a gradual build up of tension and make foam rolling less uncomfortable :-) Check out some yoga studios we recommend here.

5. Breathe. Spending 5 minutes focusing on deep diaphragm breathing after exercise will activate the para-sympathetic nervous system that's responsible for the healing process in your body. Try putting your feet up on a chair so you can completely relax.

Want to learn more?

Dan will be teaching a special 4 Week Ready to Run Workshops series starting October Saturday 8th 2016 at Power Living Yoga. Please click here for more details.