Your guide to a simple, effective post

Recovery after exercise is essential, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.

My first exposure to the post-workout cool-down was at the end of a Jane Fonda VHS tape in the early 1990s. After pulsing, bouncing and arm-circling, Jane instructed us to slowly stretch our legs overhead while breathing, hug our knees to our chest, and give ourselves a big round of applause for our hard work. And that was that.

Thirty years later, recovery looks a little bit different. We’re told to dip in a cold tub, get a massage, slip on electricity-powered compression sleeves, and refuel with in-studio smoothie bars. Understanding that we can’t just hurl ourselves into brutal workout after brutal workout without getting worn out or injured is a step in the right direction. But do we need to focus this much