The Gritty Glowy girl belief is that rest isn’t passive. It’s performance-based. It’s planned. It’s a strategy. We’re not here for bubble bath clichés or cheat day mindsets. (Although a hot bath and a filthy little snack are delectable sometimes) We focus on real recovery that keeps you strong, regulated, and ready to train again.

As a side note I don’t love the word cheat day. So I am working on replacing that term and removing it from here on out!

Why recovery isn’t optional
When you train, you create stress. Muscle fibers tear, your nervous system ramps up, and energy stores deplete. But adaptation, strength, and growth happen only during recovery. According to UCHealth, recovery is where muscle is rebuilt, hormones reset, and endurance is restored. Without it, you risk stalled progress, injury, and chronic fatigue.

Active recovery means moving with intention
Rest days don’t mean lying still. Light movement such as walking, hiking with friends and decompressing, mobility flows, yoga, or swimming increases circulation, flushes waste like lactic acid, and reduces soreness. Experts at Medical News Today and Piedmont confirm that active recovery helps maintain fitness gains without adding new strain.

Rest doesn’t mean you stop
Your body needs contrast. High effort training must be followed by lower effort recovery days. According to Fitness Lab, proper rest between sessions allows muscle fibers to rebuild and prevents overtraining. You don’t lose progress by resting. You protect it.

Recovery supports hormonal balance
High intensity workouts elevate cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone. That can be good for building power, but only when it’s followed by rest. Piedmont Health explains that skipping recovery leads to prolonged cortisol elevation, which can stall fat loss, disrupt sleep, and weaken the immune system.

Sleep, stress management, and nutrition are foundational
Deep sleep is when growth hormone is released and your body does its most effective repair work. University Hospitals notes that lack of quality sleep raises stress hormones and slows physical progress. Medical News Today explains how consistent stress regulation and whole-food nutrition support hormone health, reduce inflammation, and improve recovery outcomes over time.

How do you start a solid recovery plan? Here are some gritty glow tips to help you.

1. Treat Recovery Like Training
Schedule recovery the same way you schedule training. Put it in your calendar and commit to it. Whether it’s mobility, walking, or contrast therapy, it matters as much as your workouts.

2. Use Journaling to Process Stress
Journaling helps reduce mental overload. Write about your day, track patterns, or note what your body needs. Keep it simple and consistent.

3. Book Time for Yourself
When time is tight, make recovery an appointment. Even 15 to 20 minutes of mobility, a bath, or focused breathing can shift your system. Show up for yourself the way you show up for others.

4. Regulate Your Nervous System Affordably
Recovery doesn’t have to be expensive. Use deep breathing, stretching, warm water, or calming music to bring your nervous system down. Small habits done often will lower cortisol and improve recovery.

5. Make Recovery Part of Your Identity
Recovery isn’t extra. It’s a core part of resilience and long-term progress. Build it into your routine and treat it like the non-negotiable it is.

One of the most frustrating things I see in wellness are recovery and rest initiatives that are out of touch and out of reach for so many people who train.
Not everybody can purchase expensive red lights or PEMF treatments or even massage therapy. There is so much you can do that doesn’t require hours of care a day.

If you want to be consistent then you have to do is reasonably and manage expectations of your time. We are so busy so making sure you have some solid solutions and healthy habits you can build on are super important!

What are some of the biggest recovery tip myths you have come accross?