With the arrival of spring, it's natural to feel the need to get moving again.
Days get longer, temperatures become milder, and it becomes easier to go for a run or resume a routine that had inevitably slowed down during winter.
Often, the first few outings also feel good. Your breath responds, your pace isn't as far off from what you remembered, and the general perception is that you haven't lost too much. It's precisely this impression, however, that can sometimes be misleading.
It's a feeling that Enrica Tomei (aka La Tommy), a runner and SPORTLAB Milano Ambassador, knows well.
“The first few runs are always a bit like that: you feel good and it’s natural to push yourself. The problem is that your body isn't as ready as it seems.”
Indeed, when resuming training after a break, the limit is rarely endurance. Rather, it's everything related to the body's ability to manage the overall effort.
During winter, the body adapts to different rhythms, often less intense and less repetitive. Even those who continue to train tend to modify the type of activity, frequency, or quality of stimuli. So, when returning to more regular loads, you don't really start from the same point, but from a condition that requires a readjustment phase.
This translates into sensations that many know well: stiffer muscles, fatigue that arrives earlier than expected, small discomforts that appear without an obvious cause. These are not worrying signs, but simply the body's way of trying to regain balance.
In this initial phase, therefore, anything that helps the body reactivate gradually becomes fundamental. Preparing muscles before training can make a concrete difference in how you feel from the first few kilometers, especially when coming from less active weeks.
“Before going out, I always use WARMUP CREAM. It helps me start more smoothly, without that stiff feeling from the first few outings.”
At the same time, there are aspects that quickly make themselves felt again as soon as you start increasing loads. Chafing is one of the first.
After weeks or months without issues, they reappear as soon as outings lengthen or intensity increases, affecting areas like the inner thigh, feet, or contact points with technical clothing.
“As soon as you start extending your runs, chafing immediately makes itself known. For this, I use SLIDER: it’s light, non-greasy, and protects the most sensitive areas without causing discomfort during training.”
Another aspect often underestimated in spring is sun exposure during sports activities. Temperatures are not yet high, but the sun is already more intense, and the skin, less accustomed than in winter months, can be more sensitive.
“In spring, the sun is already intense, even if it doesn't seem so. That's why I started protecting my skin from the very first outings. I use ACTIVE SUN 50+ because it’s light, doesn’t clog the skin, and holds up very well even with water and sweat.”
Finally, there's an aspect that tends to be overlooked precisely when it would be most useful: recovery.
The perception of engaging in still "light" activities often leads to less attention being paid to what happens after training. In reality, precisely because the body is not yet fully adapted, every stimulus has a more pronounced impact.
Incorporating something into your routine that promotes recovery helps improve overall well-being in the hours that follow and maintain training consistency.
“After training, I use COOLDOWN CREAM, especially on days when my legs feel more fatigued. It helps me relax them and recover better, so the next day I can start without that annoying heavy feeling.”
Resuming properly doesn't just mean increasing kilometers or frequency, but guiding the body through a transition phase that involves preparation, management, and recovery.
And, as Enrica suggests, it's often the details - even the seemingly smallest ones - that truly make a difference over time.
