Is Recovery at SweatHouz the Missing Link to Your Marathon Training?
Running a marathon is the ultimate endurance test, demanding both physical and mental resilience. Training for a marathon can span anywhere from 3 to 6 months—or even longer—depending on your fitness level, race schedule, and personal goals. Effective training involves multiple components: building endurance, gaining strength, practicing speed and tempo runs, fueling your body, staying hydrated, and perhaps most overlooked, recovering properly.
Recovery is multi-faceted and includes sleeping well and staying hydrated, in addition to recovery modalities like the cold plunge and Hyperice technology. Here are four reasons why SweatHouz might be the game-changer for your marathon training needs.
Improve Your Sleep for Better Performance
Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night is vital, but 1 in 3 adults still fall short. Lack of sleep can have serious consequences, including increased risks of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cognitive decline. Insufficient sleep also hampers recovery from strenuous workouts, which can delay your progress. In fact, the American Heart Association agrees that sleep is such an integral component to health, that they added it to their Life’s Essential 8 in 2022.
We have good news: redlight therapy and infrared sauna sessions at SweatHouz can increase melatonin production and may positively impact sleep. Sleeping better has far-reaching benefits not only on your training performance but also on your overall well-being.
Hydration is Key to Muscle Recovery
Prioritizing hydration throughout your marathon training program helps moderate cardiovascular strain and perceived effort, maintains mental sharpness and reaction time, and is critical for muscle recovery. Continuing to rehydrate after infrared sauna sessions and training runs are critical for replacing the fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat.
As a rule of thumb, the National Athletic Training Association recommends drinking 17-20 ounces of water two to three hours before a training session, and 7-10 ounces 20 minutes before you begin. During training, aim for 6-12 ounces every 15 minutes. Drink LMNT is our preferred hydration partner, and we encourage you to stop by our front desk and try a rehydration packet for yourself.
Boost Recovery with Cold Therapy
A recent meta-analysis, or study of studies, found that cold therapy helped reduce feelings of muscle soreness more than passive rest days. Cold plunging helps reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, aiding in the post-workout recovery process.
Additionally, cold plunges may enhance circulation, facilitating the removal of metabolic waste products from your muscles. We recommend booking a 15-minute cold plunge appointment at SweatHouz after your long training runs to help invigorate your mind while optimizing your recovery and enhancing your performance.
Feel Rejuvenated Faster with Normatec
If you’re looking for a ‘fresh legs, faster’ feeling after a long run, book time in our Recovery Room by Hyperice and treat yourself to a 15-minute Normatec 3.0 session. The Normatec is a pneumatic compression device, which uses dynamic air compression technology to help you recover faster, improve training outcomes, and maximize performance.