This week of recovery prioritizes meditation, active stretches, and more for a balanced mind and body.
Your Week In Recovery is a series highlighting a specific fitness modality and an Equinox’s Coach approach to post-workout recovery. Follow along to support your journey toward a high-performance lifestyle.
One of the reasons barre is such a powerful methodology is that recovery is often built into the practice itself — offering a balance of strength, mobility, and endurance within each session. However, to truly optimize results and longevity in movement, it’s essential to incorporate additional recovery strategies.
First, nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle repair and energy replenishment. Ensuring you’re getting a well-balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats supports recovery and helps rebuild muscle after the demands of class. Second, dedicated deep stretching sessions — like Yin Yoga, Best Stretch Ever, or other restorative practices — allow for greater range of motion and deeper tissue release, complementing the controlled movements of barre. Additionally, self-myofascial release, such as foam rolling or using a tennis ball for targeted areas, offers massage-like benefits, easing tension and improving circulation in as little as three to five minutes.
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Post-workout recovery is essential not only for progress in any fitness modality but also for overall health and longevity in movement. During exercise, especially in strength-based training from barre to weight lifting, the muscles experience microscopic damage (micro-tears), which the body repairs during recovery, leading to increased strength, definition, and endurance. Without proper recovery, the body remains in a stressed state, increasing the risk of overuse injuries, fatigue, and decreased performance.
Allowing adequate recovery time, along with intentional recovery strategies — such as stretching, hydration, nutrition, meditation, and restorative movement — optimizes muscle repair, reduces soreness, and enhances performance. A well-recovered body moves with greater efficiency, improves range of motion, and sustains energy levels, making every workout more effective. Recovery isn’t just about resting; it’s an active part of progress! (Though resting is absolutely important as well!)
Ready to incorporate mindful recovery into your barre routine? Use this week-long program as a guide. For a personalized regimen, chat with an instructor at the Club.
Monday
Warm up properly before class with active stretches and range of motion movements, then go hard in class! After, take extra time on the stretch mat to address any area that worked particularly hard, followed by a shake or meal that includes protein to help you recover and build muscle.
Tuesday
Leave extra time to warm up before class to help with the possible fatigue from going hard on Monday as well as take three to five minutes to roll out any particularly "spicy" muscles. Based on your body's condition, work an appropriate amount in class itself. If you're feeling good, push a little harder; if you're feeling a little "crunchy," be mindful and modify where you need to. This is a wonderful day to include a deep stretch of the body, whether that be a Yin Yoga class or simply taking 30 minutes while listening to music you love to stretch out at the end of your day.
Wednesday
With the body strong and recovered well, warm up intelligently and then take a challenging class that is outside of your usual practice. One of the most amazing parts of Equinox is that you have access to so many modalities; choosing a new modality will encourage your body to continue to develop. Most likely you will be quite sore from picking something new, so on this day spend time rolling out after class to help facilitate optimal healing.
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Thursday
Just like on Monday, warm up properly before class with active stretches and range-of-motion movements, then go hard in class. Maybe you take the same format or style as you did on Monday and see if you can go even further. After, take extra time on the stretch mat to address any area that worked particularly hard, followed by a nutrient-rich shake or meal.
Friday
Listen to your body. Maybe this day is a "go hard" day as well, or a recovery day, or maybe this is a meet-in-the-middle day with a little bit of both! Many things from work stress to sleep affect the body, so keeping this in mind can help you make decisions that allow you to progress your goals while also staying healthy. For recovery, take 10 minutes to address whatever is ailing you. If you feel good, stretch for 10 minutes to increase flexibility. If you feel sore, roll out sore muscles for 10 minutes to ease the pain. If you feel stressed, do a HeadStrong Meditation for 10 minutes to lower your stress level. Use your recovery this day to aid any issues you are experiencing, and if you are without issue, do whichever recovery modality speaks to you.
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Saturday
Another day to go "full out with feeling" as we say in the performance world (as long as it is healthy and safe for you to do so)! Given your following day is a full recovery day, pay special attention to your nutrition this day. As a person who expends a great deal of calories, here’s a friendly reminder that nutrition is not eating less, but rather incorporating the substances your body needs to heal and succeed! If you are also heavy on cardio, make sure you get electrolytes and plenty of water. If you incorporate heavy lifting into your week, make sure you eat enough protein. If you're somewhere in the middle, make sure you get both!
Sunday
Take a full recovery day! Treat yourself to things you love while also continuing to provide your body with the fuel it needs. Listen to your body — if it’s asking you for something (and it is safe as well as beneficial to health) follow that impetus. A well-recovered body moves with greater ease, builds strength more efficiently, and ultimately allows for a more sustainable and enjoyable practice.
Michael J. Clark is the Group Fitness Manager at Equinox Hudson Yards and a former professional dancer who’s performed on Broadway and assisted with choreography for a Beyoncé music video.