STRETCH IT OUT

Not a bundle of economic policies, but a timely reminder that crushing sprints or strength moves is just half of the get-fit equation. If you want to train hard, you need to recharge harder

Give rest day the attention it deserves with our handy guide

Sometimes, the universe conspires to deliver exactly what you need at precisely the time you need it. A new leader across the pond mid-pandemic? Thanks, universe. Granted, your fitness regime has fewer global consequences, but the stars have aligned once again to make recovery the biggest news in fitness just after you went too hard in January.

First, the buzziest tool in recovery, the muscle gun, brought the previously eliteonly percussive therapy (targeted bursts of pressure) to your average exerciser. Then, being left to your own devices for months on end via home workouts – which resulted in a spike in exercise injuries – only confirmed that proper recovery has become a non-negotiable.

Here’s the thing: exercise stresses your body and causes micro tears in your muscle fibres. This is supposed to happen; the fibres fuse back together and form new muscle protein strands (or myofibrils), a process that leaves the muscle slightly bigger and stronger than it was before, making it more resistant to the same kind of damage – and the right recovery routine can fast-track your recharge. Better yet, the most tried-and-trusted tactics are easy to do indoors.

So, we’ve bundled them up into a recovery package to roll out as and when you need them.