Prepare before and after Round The Bays with these tips and tricks
Southern Cross Round the Bays 2023 is just a few days away. Congratulations for getting involved and taking your step to the start line.
To help you prepare for both the event and your post-exercise recovery, the team at Southern Cross, together with our friends at Active+, has pulled together a few tips to keep you feeling at the top of your game.
Hydration
Make sure you start as you mean to continue. Drink plenty of water in the morning and be sure to eat a hearty and healthy breakfast, well before you reach the start line.
Take a water bottle with you on the course or use the hydration stations along the way.
Keep up your water intake post-run and remember, slow and steady wins the hydration race.
Avoid alcohol on the day before and the day of the race, as it is dehydrating and can impair your recovery.
Stretch it out
Before you run, it’s important to get your muscles ready for a workout using what are called dynamic stretches.
Rather than the classic stretch and hold exercises, try a dynamic 5 minute warm up moving your body through a few side lunges, standing toe touches, squats, calf raises, forward lunges, and gentle leg swings. Don’t forget your core muscles! Add some side-to-side twists and side bends to finish.
After you’ve crossed the finish line it’s time for the static stretches. To warm down, use similar stretches to your warmup, but instead of moving through the stretch, hold each stretch for about 20-30 seconds to help slow your body down, increase flexibility, and reduce your risk of injury.
The next few days
On the day after the race you might have some muscle soreness. Keep up the stretching and go for a light walk.
Over the coming days you can return to light exercise. If you still have unusual muscle soreness or feel injured over the next week, maybe think about booking in to see your local physiotherapist.
