What Your Recovery is Missing

By now, most dancers know that it’s not exercise itself that makes your muscles stronger—it’s recovering from that exercise. But it takes more than just resting your body to see results.

Recent research suggests that to bounce back stronger after strenuous exercise, your mind needs a break from stress, too. Scientists believe the body will only dedicate resources to rebuilding if it doesn’t register a threat, no matter whether that message is coming from physical or mental stress.

Perfectionist dancers love filling up their schedules, but some mindless binge-watching might have its place on your to-do list, too.