Five minutes to land the plane
Walk until your breathing settles. Unload the spine if you deadlifted: lie on your back with calves on a chair. That is a cooldown, not a spa day.
- Easy walk or cycle for 5 minutes
- Protein plus carbohydrate at the next meal
- Water with food
- Lights down if you trained late
Fuel without a protocol spreadsheet
Eat within a couple of hours. Perfection is optional; a sandwich and fruit still count.
Gadgets are extras
Massage guns can feel nice. They do not replace sleep. If evening workouts wreck your bedtime, move the session earlier or shorten it. Recovery includes being able to fall asleep.
Swelling, a pop followed by instability, or pain that worsens overnight deserves assessment, not another foam-roller video.
