Are you having trouble developing good fitness habits? Try ‘time blocking’

Scheduling recovery days into your routine can ensure steady progress. Your body needs time to prioritize sleep over intense sweat sessions, and muscle recovery over straining muscles. The time you take between training sessions is the period during which your body recovers so that it performs better the next time you train it. ‘Refueling and sleeping are key to getting the most out of our workouts. Overtraining will harm performance and limit the gains, strength or fitness you get from your sessions,” says Simarro. That said, it’s worth blocking out active recovery sessions during rest days. Stretching on the yoga mat or gentle swimming are low-intensity options that promote muscle growth and recovery between intense workouts.