This study aimed to determine the efficacy of remote ischemic postconditioning against ischemia/reperfusion injury to the rat hindlimb muscle if postconditioning was delayed 1 or 3 hours after the end of ischemia. In total, 68 rats were divided into sham control, 20 min hindlimb ischemia, ischemia (3 hours), and two groups to which postconditioning treatment was applied 60 or 180 minutes after the end of ischemia. Ischemia lasting three hours was induced in the rats’ left hind limb using an external elastic band (tourniquet) placed as proximally as possible. The release of the tourniquet initiated reperfusion. As remote ischemic postconditioning 20 minutes of ischemia on the contralateral hind limb was performed. The wet/dry ratio of gastrocnemius muscle (degree of tissue edema), nitroblue tetrazolium reduction (tissue necrosis), and CatWalk test (hind limb functionality) were evaluated 24 hours after the end of ischemia. Remote ischemic postconditioning significantly prevented muscle edema and necrosis induced by 3 hours of ischemia even though it was used 1 or 3 hours after the end of ischemia. There was no significant difference in measured parameters between intact control and 20 minutes of tourniquet ischemia alone. Temporary increase in blood pressure and related blood flow during the postconditioning can work as an additional beneficial effect to the phenomenon of ischemic tolerance enhancing recovery of perfusion at the end of free flap transfer, replantation or long-lasting reconstruction in orthopedic, plastic and hand surgery.