How to Get Rid of Sore Legs With the Perfect Recovery Run

Dealing with soreness after a run is a central part of any runner's routine. It directly impacts your ability to perform. With the right approach to recovery, though, it is possible to alleviate some of the discomfort that comes on after a tough run—allowing for a smoother transition into your next session. This article will teach you how to do the perfect recovery run to get rid of sore legs.

What Is a Recovery Run?

A recovery run is a significantly slower run than you’re used to doing. The pace of a recovery run should allow you to easily hold a conversation with someone running beside you. The goal is not to improve your fitness, get stronger, lower your 5K time, or anything like that. There is only one purpose: Recovery.

Recovery runs can be a valuable tool to have in your training arsenal. Knowing how to do one properly can take some practice, as it can be tempting to want to just turn it into another workout. The mature athlete, regardless of age, understands that you cannot constantly go, go, go. That feeds your ego—but destroys your body!

You don’t have to be aching in pain to go out for a recovery run, far from it. Maybe you’re feeling a little off, have low energy, aren’t motivated, would rather be in bed, are jittery, are just trying to wake up…anything! If you just want something to get the ball rolling on a particular day, whether that’s recovering from soreness or not, a recovery run can be your best friend.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Why Do Recovery Runs Help Muscle Soreness?

Recovery runs aim to relax stiff muscles by giving them some gentle work to do. A slow, easy jaunt does wonders to promote blood circulation throughout the body, which helps remove any waste products that have built up and lingered in the muscles you worked days prior.

Any run outside your normal level of intensity is liable to leave you sore and creaky for a number of days. Hill repeats, sprint intervals, long runs, high-tempo runs, trail runs, downhills, and even just your regular few-mile hitter may surprise you at times with the amount of soreness you receive. Sometimes it takes days to show up, and other times it’s there almost immediately.

By engaging in a recovery run, runners can work towards preventing muscle stiffness and reducing the likelihood of injury. It is also a way to satisfy that urge to move even when you’re really beat up. Going out for a recovery run can kill two birds with one stone by getting rid of sore legs and helping you feel like you still accomplished something for the day.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

Tips for the Perfect Recovery Run

#1: Focus on Short Distances

We don’t want to exhaust ourselves, we just want to get the blood moving. It is not even important that you map out a route or pick a set distance in your mind. Go by feel. You know your body better than anyone else. Stay in the neighbourhood, go to your favourite trail, find a small pond loop. No pressure, keep it relaxed.

#2: Significantly Slower Pace

Again, this should be a super slow paced run. It should feel good, almost like a gentle, pumping massage on those aching muscles. A good way to get a feel for the pace is to try running with a loaded pack on one of your training days. A loaded pack or weight vest forces you to run slow with little to no vertical. Take off the weight and replicate that stride for your recovery run.

#3: Incorporate Dynamic Skips & Stretches

We want to keep these sessions light, fun, and movement-based to further emphasize blood flow, flexibility, and recovery. Try throwing in some different skips (forwards, side shuffle, backwards) and dynamic stretches while out on your recovery run. Here’s a few you can try incorporating!

Dynamic Quad Stretch to Knee Hug

• Interrupt your run with a quick quad stretch, and then immediately go into a knee hug on the same leg. This not only gives the stance leg some light work to do, but also provides two gentle stretches to the front of the thigh and glutes!

Dynamic Forward Fold

• Pull off to the side of your trail and bend down until you can grab the bottom of your toes. From here, gently crouch into a ball, then open back up, pulsing back and forth to give the hamstrings and lower back some much needed love.

Dynamic High Lunge

• Take a quick break to work on those calves! Get into a high lunge position (picture 1) and really focus on keeping the tail tucked under to feel a stretch in the back hip flexors. Then, gently press the back heel down into the ground to get a good stretch in the lower leg.

#4: Cool Down

You may have skipped the cool down every other day this week, but it can really count after a recovery run! You’re already dialing things back anyways, so adding in a nice gentle walk after your run can be a good way to transition back into work mode or whatever else you have going on that day. While you’re at it, throw in some relaxing static stretches and good hydration!

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Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist