The Best Things to Do After a Run + Giveaway!

The best things to do after a run including rehydrating and refueling, stretching, keeping moving and more! Plus, a giveaway for Ultima electrolyte hydration drink.

I've been running again since July and am loving it! I run with my dad twice a week and we run about 5-5.5 miles each time. We are not fast by any means but it is fun, I get a great workout in before the kids wakeup and it's a great opportunity to chat with my dad. I'm pretty structured in what I do after a run which is what helps me feel my best, refuel and rehydrate and I wanted to share the best things to do after a run.

**Keep reading for an Ultima electrolyte hydration drink giveaway!

The Best Things to Do After a Run

1. Rehydrate

The very first thing that I do when I get back from a run is mix up my Ultima Replenisher electrolyte drink. After running a few months ago, I would always feel pressure and get a headache in my temples after every run. I didn't know what was causing it. I decided to try Ultima one day to see if it helped and it literally changed my life. I drink Ultima right after I run which is an electrolyte hydration drink powder mixed into 16-24 ounces of water and 100% of my headaches went away. 

I may have just been dehydrated but it was very uncomfortable. Drinking Ultima encourages me to drink a bunch of liquids right after my run and tastes so delicious. If hydration was the issue, at the very least, Ultima makes me drink more than a few sips of water before jumping in the shower and gives me a boost of electrolytes before I eat my breakfast. I have been drinking Ultima after every single run for 3 months now and finally reached out to them so I could share my story. I am obsessed with the cherry pomegranate flavor and it is something that I look forward to after every run. 

You can buy individual serving sticks of Ultima or you can buy it in canisters. It is sugar free which I like because when I drink Ultima, it is usually 7 AM and I don't want to be drinking sugar. It is 0 calories, sweetened with stevia and loaded with electrolytes. It has magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and chloride. It mixes into water and you just need a tiny scoop of it. It is the only product that I use consistently for my exercise and I highly recommend it!

2. Stretch

After I drink my electrolyte drink, I stretch. I am not amazing at this but my sister's fiance that is a personal trainer and marathon runner encouraged me to do so. I was starting to feel sore and have some minor injuries. He shared a few stretches to help and I find that stretching makes a big difference in the way that I feel later that night.

3. Take a shower

Way to be obvious Amanda! I am winter running right now and at the end of the run, I get cold and there is nothing like a hot shower to warm me up. 

4. Refuel

It is recommended to eat something within 30 minutes of finishing your run. A lot of times, it takes me more like 45 minutes to eat between taking a shower, getting dressed, doing things with the kids, etc. When it takes me longer to eat anything, I definitely notice the difference. I get more irritable and feel off. 

Aim for a mix of protein and carbohydrates for post-running fuel. My 4 favorite post run foods are: green smoothies, overnight oats, Troy's salsa eggs (especially on Saturday mornings when he makes them for me for when I get out of the shower!) or whole-wheat toast with peanut butter.

5. Don't do: sit around!

After sharing my 4 tips of what I do after a run, I wanted to share something that I recommend not doing. Make sure that you don't just sit around after a run. Do some light movement like walking around your house or stretching. When you sit down for a long period of time after running, it feels so much worse. I've been playing around with this as I was feeling really achy after a run and noticed that on the days that I kept myself moving at least a bit, I felt SO much better with my recovery.

Thanks for joining me in learning what I do after a run. If you are a runner or love to workout, I would love to hear more about your post-workout routine. I'm always looking for new tips!

Giveaway

The giveaway will be for a 90 serving canister of Ultima, an Ultima glass water bottles and a sampler pack of Ultima.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored by Ultima Replenisher- the best electrolyte drink ever that has totally changed the way that I feel after a run!