Expensive Exercise Recovery Classes Are Taking Over Fitness Studios—but Are They Worth It?

Recovery-focused classes that incorporate everything from stretching to muscle compression have long been used by the pros to help speed healing after a hard-core workout. But for the average gymgoer, are they really better than just taking a day off?

 The 'Strange Science' Behind The Big Business Of Exercise Recovery

Aschwanden's book examines the physiology behind different recovery methods and also offers an assessment of their effectiveness. Ultimately, she notes, the best form of recovery may be an old-fashioned one: listening to your own body. "The most important skill that any athlete can develop is a sense of how their body is responding to exercise," she says. "How they're responding to their workouts; how they're feeling; what it feels like for them to be recovered or underrecovered."

 The best food for recovery after exercise

Many runners do a great job in fuelling themselves for training and racing, but are you thinking enough about nutrition to ensure you recover properly between sessions?

 The secrets of sports recovery

For most of the 20th century, getting fitter just involved training harder. However, today’s elite athletes, weekend warriors and even recreational gym-goers know that they have to consider not just their workouts but their bodies’ recovery from them too, especially if they want to get stronger or faster.

The exercise “recovery” industry is largely bogus

Christie Aschwanden investigated the sports recovery market and found you don’t need sports drinks, cupping, or ice baths.

Can a Beer Help You Recover After Exercise?

Relaxing as a massage, refreshing as a sports drink, these craft brews promise post-workout replenishment—though the science doesn’t always support the spiel

Chocolate Milk: This Post-Workout Drink Isn’t for Everyone

What you need to replenish depends on how much energy you’re burning.

Gladiator Gatorade? Ancient Athletes Had A Recovery Drink, Too

"It's entirely possible gladiators were drinking ash drink," she says, "but they haven't proven it." The problem? Dairy doesn't show up in isotopes, so the gladiators could have been chowing down on more cheese and yogurt than the rest of the population.

Health Check: do ice baths after sport help recovery or improve results?

Ice baths are used to reduce symptoms of muscle soreness, and maintain the results gained from training sessions in strength and endurance. However, a recent study found these effects could be little more than placebo. What does the rest of the evidence say?

Health Check: do you really need carbs to recover from exercise?

Carbohydrate-rich diets are often recommended as part of exercise regimes to promote recovery and maximise performance. But recent research suggesting such foods may not help exercise recovery and their potential link with metabolic diseases are raising questions about whether this advice is still appropriate.

Here’s What Cold Plunging Actually Does to Your Body

Some people claim it boosts their mood and soothes sore muscles—here’s what experts say.

How to Find Relief If Your Muscles Are Sore After a Workout

Try these expert-approved strategies to ease the dreaded DOMS.

How to Recover Like an Elite Athlete

The best part of any exercise class is the few minutes of cooling down and recovery at the end. And, it turns out, it doesn’t just feel great; there has been a slow sea change in how we view recovery.

Is 72 Hours Enough For Muscle Recovery?

The optimal time for muscle recovery can vary, and it's difficult to know when to rest. The problem with resting too little or not at all is that your muscles won't have time to recover and grow. You'll be more prone to injury, which can lead to months of inactivity and lost progress.

Is Taking a Hot Or Cold Shower After a Workout Better for Recovery?

Your decision to take a cold or hot shower after exercise may not be as consequential as you think.

Recovery Techniques for Athletes

From Rolfing to acupuncture, athletes are focusing on healing as well as training.

Sore Muscles? These 5 Workout Recovery Tools Can Help

Whether you harbor triathlon ambitions or are simply fed up with your chronically tight back, these are the right tools to soothe torn muscle fibers. The day after a workout, they’ll have you bouncing out of bed—or at least not crawling—ready for another session.

What To Eat After A Workout

Whether you went running, cycling, swam laps or lifted weights, finishing up your exercise session isn’t the end of the challenge. Knowing what to eat after your workout can play a pivotal role in helping your body refuel, rehydrate and recover from exercise, as well as help your muscles rebuild.

What to eat and drink after running a marathon

Runners should try to consume some carbohydrate, ideally 50-100g within an hour of finishing the marathon in either food or drink form. This could include carbohydrate sports drinks, cereal bars, bananas or bread-based products. This is because the restoration of muscle and liver glycogen – the carbohydrate stored in the muscle and liver that are depleted during prolonged exercise – begins as soon as exercise ceases so carbohydrates are essential to maximise this process.

Your All-Inclusive Guide to Active Recovery

Learn how incorporating active recovery days into your workout routine can improve performance and help you meet your fitness goals.

Your Muscles Don't Always Need a Day of Rest Between Workouts

A new study shows that rest is not as important to muscle growth as was previously thought.