The 2023 Comrades Marathon is quickly approaching and it’s critically important for all runners to have a pre and post marathon routine to fully take care of their bodies. Whether it’s your 1st or 50th marathon, at Expand Health, we are here to help and will get you back on your feet in no time.
Below are a few of our top pre and post marathon recovery options and deals tailored especially for Comrades Marathon runners.
Whole-Body Cryotherapy
What is it: Also known as “cold therapy”—uses nitrogen cooled air to expose the body to sub-zero temperatures of up to -180°C in order to stimulate multiple physical and mental health benefits.
Why it’s great: It is both a performance enhancer and a recovery treatment, making it perfect for long distance runners who tax their bodies during the training and marathon running process. Cryotherapy has been shown to boost endurance and energy, increase blood flow, curb pain and reduce inflammation, all of which are key for a runner’s longevity.
When you should do it: To reboot after a long training session, schedule a cryotherapy session at Expand Health, it will keep your muscles and joints healthy. Pop in again after race day to ease your muscles and alleviate any lingering aches and pains.
What is it: The HOCATT delivers a combination of modalities perfectly sequenced to give a gentle, yet incredibly powerful effect. It boosts energy and detoxes your body down to a cellular level. The main component is Transdermal Ozone, which is generated from pure Oxygen.
Why it’s great: Combining Hyperthermia (raising the body temperature) together with Transdermal Ozone increases blood and lymph circulation improving oxygen delivery to your cells. This enhances mitochondrial function and increases ATP production — which means MORE ENERGY! It also helps your body excrete toxins, modulates the immune system and promotes healing – regenerating damaged tissue, it enhances the elimination of lactic acid, which facilitates faster recovery and reduces inflammation/swelling and pain.
When you should do it: For the athlete, it’s all about increasing energy and improving the way you use oxygen. Because the HOCATT floods your body with ozone all the way down to cellular level, it’s the ideal practice to incorporate into your pre-race toolkit as you amp up training. After race day, book yourself in for a rejuvenating, rehydrating full body recovery.
What is it: This is an innovative technology that provides a high-tech compression massage to relieve muscle aches and pains while temporarily increasing circulation. It is a clinically proven method to reduce soreness and help athletes perform at their best everyday.
Why it’s great: Instead of using static compression (squeezing) to transport fluid out of the limbs, compression boots use dynamic compression (pulsing) to more effectively mimic the muscle pump of the legs and to enhance the movement of fluids and metabolites out of the limbs after an intense workout. A session can also lessen pain sensitivity, decrease muscle fatigue, increase lymph and blood circulation and improve range of motion.
When you should do it: Leading up to Marathon Day, we recommend that runners pop in for a few sessions with our boots to prepare the legs and help the muscles recover from training. After race day, treat yourself to a session for a full leg recovery.
Be nice to your body and book your pre marathon prep or post marathon recovery. Share the recovery with your running crew. For the months of June, July and August we are offering a discount on group bookings for our recovery bundle of cryo, compression and ozone sauna for:
1 person, R1500 (save R350 per person)
2 people, R1200 per person (save R650 per person)
3 people, R1050 per person (save R800 per person)
We are open Monday to Friday 08h30 to 18h00 and Saturdays 08h30 to 12h00. Contact +27 (0)66 448 0238 to book your appointment. You deserve it!
