The After-Workout Recovery Routine I Rely On to Ease Soreness

A solid eight hours of sleep can fix almost anything — including supersore muscles. After a particularly grueling workout, I'll give myself as much time to sleep in as possible. Even if I still have some lingering soreness, it's much easier to tolerate when I'm well-rested and energized.

That means I'm usually not the type to jump out of bed for a 7 a.m. spin class after strength training the night before — and that's OK. If I'm going to stick to my fitness routine, I need to give my body plenty of time to recover. It's all about balance, after all!