My Favorite Holistic Tips For Recovery As An Athlete and Acupuncturist

One thing I think we can all agree on as runners and athletes is that we don’t prioritize recovery enough. Yes? Yes.

As both a runner and licensed acupuncturist, I’ve experienced recovery from two unique perspectives—both as the athlete desperately realizing the importance of it and as the practitioner helping others achieve it.

Here’s what I’ve learned from personal experience: The athletes who perform the best long-term aren’t necessarily training the hardest—they’re recovering the smartest.

🔁 The Recovery Mindset Shift for Athletes

I’ll be honest—I definitely have the go go go personality that so many runners have. This works…until it doesn’t. What typically happens for me after a long stretch of not letting my body rest is that I get extremely fatigued for a few days or I get sick and have to take a few days off. Neither of which I have time for or want to experience 🙃

I’ll also be honest that I still struggle with prioritizing rest. Or something else I hear a lot from my patients and running friends is that they need to run or exercise every day for their mental health. And then we tend to push through fatigue, ignore warning signs, and sometimes wear exhaustion like a badge of honor. This approach typically leads straight to:

• Injury
• Burnout
• Plateaued performance
  
  

I see it every day in my treatment room. Athletes come in with chronic fatigue, nagging injuries, and stalled progress—and often, the root issue can be simple: undervaluing recovery.

As runners, most of us do not have issues getting our workouts in or suffer from low motivation. Most of the time I’m seeing the opposite. Runners who literally won’t take a day off for weeks.

🏃‍♀️ What I Learned From Running

Running has taught me that recovery isn’t passive—it’s an active process. During my training, I build recovery into my training calendar with my coach, Jacob Oak of Oak Endurance. Recovery becomes a non-negotiable just like my long runs.

😴 Sleep: The Foundation of My Recovery

Nothing has improved my performance more than prioritizing quality sleep. My approach:

• 8–9 hours/night (yes, even on weekends)
• Consistent ideally 9:00PM bedtime
• Cool, dark room with no screens/phones out of the bedroom (highly recommend buying an alarm clock such as a Hatch Alarm Clock so you don’t need your phone next to your bed!)
• Wind-down routine: light stretching + meditation, bedtime tea

🛏️ If you’re not prioritizing sleep, you’re missing recovery’s foundation.

🍲 Nutrition That Actually Works

After 15+ years of distance running, here’s what helps me most:

• Protein within 30 minutes post-run or strength (I like a grass fed beef stick, protein shake, hard boiled egg, or bone broth)
• Anti-inflammatory foods: berries, wild caught fish, turmeric, leafy greens
• Hydration by color, not thirst (aim for pale yellow urine)
• Electrolytes: try out my favorite recovery drink!
• Limit or eliminate alcohol, especially during training blocks (leading up to my 100+ milers, I go months without alcohol or caffeine. Complete game changer)
• Amino acids before workouts
• I’ve also been incorporating creatine for the past year. Definitely game changer for both increased strength and improved brain function

Many athletes under-eat, particularly carbs. Don’t fear fueling!

🧘 Active Recovery Days

If I really don’t want to take an entire day off, I incorporate:

• 30-minute gentle yoga (hip + shoulder mobility)
• Walks in nature
• Light swims for soreness
• Foam rolling while watching TV
• Sauna time

🪡 Acupuncture: My Practitioner’s Take

Acupuncture is one of my favorite recovery tools—both for myself and my patients. Why?

• Prevents small issues from becoming race-ending injuries
• Relieves deep muscle tension better than self-massage
• Supports sleep and nervous system recovery (especially with ear points!)
• Helps you mentally downshift from “go mode”

The best results come from regular, preventative care—not crisis visits.

💆‍♀️ Massage: The Tool Too Many Skip

I book a massage every 2-4 weeks during peak training. My advice?

• Find someone who understands athletes
• Communicate your training load
• Use it preventatively—don’t wait until it hurts
• Stay hydrated before/after sessions

🚫 Common Recovery Mistakes I See

In both my clinic and my community, these are the top missteps:

• Eating too little and not soon enough after workouts—especially protein and carbs
• Chronic dehydration
• Using alcohol as a post-run reward
• Waiting until injury to explore recovery tools

🧠 Recovery Tech I Actually Use

I’ve tested a lot. Here’s what’s earned a permanent spot in my rotation:

• Compression boots after long efforts (I use the Normatech boots at Performance Running Gym)
• Percussion massager for quick, targeted relief
• HRV tracking to guide intensity vs rest

But remember: No gadget replaces sleep, nutrition, and downtime.

🎧 Want to Dive Deeper?

We recorded a full episode of our “We Get 2 Do This” podcast on recovery! I talk more about:

• My biggest recovery takeaways
• A breakdown of our recovery routines
• How to build recovery into your training, not bolt it on

👉 Click here to listen to the episode! 

🌿 Final Thoughts

Recovery isn’t necessarily about doing less. It’s about doing what your body actually needs to adapt, grow, and thrive.

The strongest athletes I treat aren’t always the fastest. They’re the ones who take their recovery seriously—and because of that, they stay in the game longer.

You don’t get stronger during training. You get stronger because of how you recover from training.

Written by Kailee Carlson, DCM, LAc, RN of Dr. Kailee Acupuncture – Holistic Health & Integrative Medicine based in Minneapolis, MN.

Dr. Kailee supports endurance athletes with acupuncture, cupping, herbal and nutrition guidance, and recovery coaching.