Every time you exercise, you put stress on your body, challenging your muscles, brain, and nervous system. That’s a good thing—your body needs this to grow. Working hard is essential to hitting your goals in your training program, but without rest, all of that hard work can go to waste. Truth be told, your gains don’t happen during the workout; they happen after, during your recovery.
During recovery, your body works hard to repair tissue, rebuild muscle, replenish fuel, de-stress, and reset.
You may not want to take a day off from training, but your body needs it. You need it just as much as the next great workout because without rest, you don’t recover. Recovery isn’t a break from your training program—it’s an essential part of it.
1. Prioritize High-Quality Sleep: Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool in the world. We don’t just need 7–9 hours of sleep—we need deep, high-quality sleep so our bodies can release the growth hormone responsible for muscle repair. Like exercise, consistency is key. Aim for a regular sleep schedule and a cold, dark, quiet, cave-like environment.
2. Hydrate… with Electrolytes: Hydration, with electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium, is essential for recovery. Water helps transport nutrients, aiding your muscles as they repair after exercise. If you’re dehydrated, your muscle protein synthesis (MAP) will slow down, leading to longer recovery times and more soreness. Rule of thumb: drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you sweat heavily, add in some extra hydration after your workout. Source
3. Eat to Recover Faster: Your body needs to refuel after a workout. Try to eat within 30–60 minutes after each session to optimize recovery. Eating whole foods full of protein (to repair muscles) and carbohydrates (to replenish glycogen stores and restore energy levels) gives your body what it needs to recover and get stronger. If you like shakes, try combining collagen peptides with whey protein to improve protein synthesis. Source
4. Improve Circulation with Self-Massage: Use a massage device, such as Rally, to boost circulation. Rally is an orbital massage device that uses a gentle circular or oscillating motion to create consistent pressure across your muscles, improving blood flow and circulation. This helps decrease muscle tension and speed up recovery and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) by delivering fresh blood, nutrients, and oxygen to your muscles. Self-massage can also reduce muscle tension and provide the relaxation we all deserve!
5. Motion is Lotion: Move on rest days. Perform low-impact activities such as walking, light cycling, yoga, mobility exercises, and stretching. Move gently to promote blood flow, circulation, and joint lubrication. If you really don’t want to do much, throw on a pair of Therabody compression boots to help circulation, reduce swelling, and boost venous return (moving deoxygenated blood back to the heart faster for improved muscle oxygenation). Your body will thank you.
If you’re crushing your workouts but not seeing the progress you want, remember: the answer may not be to keep pushing harder. It may be to focus more on your recovery. Make recovery part of your program. It’s the smartest way to see gains, avoid injuries, and stay healthy over the long term. Follow this simple advice: Stress + Rest = Growth