Recovery is Part of the Work

You’ve been putting in the work during the CG FIT Challenge. Your workouts are challenging your body, your routine is taking shape, and after several consistent weeks, recovery deserves a place on the calendar too.

Some days that may mean complete rest. Other days, lower-intensity movement can help you stay active while giving your body a break from harder training. Planning for both can help you keep showing up strong week after week.

What active recovery should feel like

Active recovery is comfortable, lower-intensity movement between more demanding workouts. Depending on your body and your training plan, that could mean walking, mobility work, Yoga, Pilates, or another easy form of movement.

The effort should feel noticeably different from a hard training day. You should finish feeling like you moved without draining the energy you need for your next workout. That distinction matters because recovery looks different for everyone. A brisk walk may feel easy for one person and demanding for another. Yoga or Pilates can also range widely in intensity.

Ask yourself one question: Does this feel restorative for me today? If you’re pushing to finish, breathing hard throughout the session, or turning it into another performance test, you may need to lower the intensity.

Give your workouts different jobs

A strong training week can include several types of effort. You may have a day focused on strength, another that challenges your endurance, and another when you push the pace. Your recovery days serve a purpose too. They give you room to lower the intensity before your next harder session.

Look at your week as a whole instead of deciding one workout at a time. For example:

Monday: CG workout

Tuesday: Easy movement or rest

Wednesday: CG workout

Thursday: Recovery, Yoga or Pilates

Friday: Rest or everyday movement

Saturday: CG workout

Sunday: Easy movement, mobility or rest

Your schedule may look completely different, and that’s okay. What matters is building a week that fits your goals, fitness level, and life. Your Trainer can help you decide where harder workouts, recovery sessions, and rest days make the most sense.

Keep recovery days easy

A recovery day can turn into another hard workout faster than you think. Your planned walk gets longer and faster. Your Yoga session becomes the toughest option available. You start feeling good and decide to turn the session into a test.

If recovery is on the schedule, let it serve that purpose. You don’t need a performance target. Choose movement that feels comfortable and leaves you ready for what comes next. That may mean a 30-minute recovery workout, Yoga, Pilates, an easy walk, or gentle mobility work.

Know when you need more than active recovery

Active recovery isn’t always the best choice. If you’re sick, injured, unusually fatigued, or experiencing pain that changes how you move, your body may need rest instead.

Pay attention to patterns as well. Persistent fatigue, soreness that isn’t improving, declining workout performance, or difficulty recovering between sessions can be signs that your training plan needs to change.

Talk with your Trainer about what you’re experiencing and adjust your week when needed. If pain is persistent, worsening, or affecting the way you move, talk with an appropriate healthcare professional.

Put recovery on the calendar

Recovery is easier to follow through on when you decide ahead of time what it will look like.

Before your week begins:

1. Identify your harder workouts. Look at the sessions likely to demand the most from you

2. Choose a recovery day. Place lower-intensity movement where it supports the rest of your training

3. Decide what you’ll do. Pick Recovery, Yoga, Pilates, an easy walk, or complete rest. If you want a CG option, check the Live Online schedule or On-Demand library for a 30+ minute Recovery, Yoga, or Pilates workout that fits your day.

4. Check in that day. If your body needs something different, adjust the plan

You’re giving recovery the same structure you give your workouts: a time, a purpose, and a place in the week.

Make your ALL IN recovery count

If you’re participating in the ALL IN CG FIT Challenge, intentional recovery can also help you earn points. Complete and log one eligible 30+ minute CG Recovery, Yoga, or Pilates workout between Monday and Sunday to earn the 3-point weekly Recovery Bonus.

Use the bonus as a reminder to look at your full training week. The challenge lasts eight weeks, and maintaining consistency over that time takes more than filling your calendar with hard workouts.

Work with your Trainer to create a plan that helps you challenge yourself, recover, and keep moving toward your goals!

References

• American College of Sports Medicine. (2025). Recovery that keeps you in the game. American College of Sports Medicine.

• Cleveland Clinic. (2025, September 26). How to make the most out of active recovery. Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.

• Hospital for Special Surgery. (2021). Overtraining: What it is, symptoms, and recovery. Hospital for Special Surgery.