Recovery: Where Fitness Is Actually Made

Fitness happens between sessions

Training breaks you down a little. Recovery is when your body rebuilds stronger. If you keep training without enough recovery, you don't keep improving — you get stuck, or slowly get worse.

Sleep comes first

Sleep is the most powerful recovery tool there is, and it's free. Much of the repair and adaptation from training happens while you sleep. Most adults need seven to nine hours; athletes in heavy training often benefit from the top of that range.

Regular bed and wake times, a cool, dark room and less screen time before bed all help. A short nap can top you up after a poor night.

Rest days and easy weeks

At least one day a week with no hard training gives your body a chance to catch up. Many plans include a full rest day; others use a very easy session instead.

Every few weeks, a lighter week lets deeper tiredness clear. You'll often come out of it feeling stronger than before.

Signs you need a lighter day

Heavy legs that don't improve with a warm-up, poor sleep, feeling unusually irritable or flat, a higher resting heart rate than normal, or easy pace suddenly feeling hard — any of these is a hint to back off for a day or two.

One bad day is nothing to worry about. Several in a row are worth listening to. If something hurts, feels sharp, or gets worse as you go, stop and get it checked.

Reading your readiness score

Exersio's readiness score blends last night's sleep, how fresh you are (your Form), how this week's training compares with your usual week (your Load Ratio) and how big yesterday was. It's a guide, not an instruction: a low score is a prompt to check in with how you feel, and perhaps swap a hard session for an easy one.

General guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts or you have a health condition, speak to a doctor or physiotherapist.