Running marathons is very stressful on the human body. Aside from just putting a strain on all of the muscles in your legs, arms and torso, marathons can affect your lungs and many of your other internal organs. Because of this, it's important that you take some time off from running after completing a marathon. Marathon runners and marathon coaches often suggested different time frames that you should use when resting after a marathon. The most common recommendation for resting after a marathon is 16-20 weeks.

By reducing your workouts, taking more time off and letting your body heal for 16-20 weeks, you will give your body the time it needs to recover from running a marathon. You will also give yourself the time you'll need to train for your next marathon, which is a very important step when planning to run a marathon. Though 16-20 weeks is recommended between marathons, there are some people who could easily run another marathon in as little as four weeks if they plan for it by using the necessary steps. Here are some of the ways you can be sure you're getting enough rest after a marathon:

You don't want your body to burn out. After a marathon, your body requires time to heal naturally. Because of this, you should not run long distances right away. This doesn't mean you have to stop running completely though. Rather, you should substitute the long distance training you did before you ran your marathon for shorter distance runs. In general, you should limit yourself to rest and short walks in the days after a marathon. From there, move on to easier runs of about 30-35 minutes before starting up a normal workout routine again. Additionally, try interval workouts where you run for a minute and rest for 30 seconds, and repeat that 30 times (or so) to get a nice solid workout without burning out your body.

After about a week of doing shorter runs, you can move onto some other exercises. One of the best things to do is vertical and horizontal jumps. Jump gently 20-30 times from side to side after a workout. Try to add a jump rope into the mix to keep things fresh. Studies have shown that this helps your legs recover after marathons and could get you back to running longer distances in a shorter amount of time.

One of the most important things to do after a marathon is to rest. Though you may be tempted to overexert yourself after marathons, you need to relax to allow your legs to recover fully. Schedule multiple days in a row where you can do nothing but heal your legs.

The suggested wait between marathons differs for everyone. If you've just completed your first marathon, be a little more cautious about how much you're working out immediately after a marathon. It could help you to run your next one more successfully.