The Most Overlooked Part of a Gymnast’s Training: Recovery
Most gymnasts are used to pushing their limits. Early mornings, long practices, sore muscles: it’s just part of the routine. I know that rhythm well. I trained that way for over a decade.
But here’s what I didn’t understand until after my injury: training isn’t what makes you stronger. Recovery is.
And if you’re like most gymnasts I know, recovery is probably the last thing you think about.
Recovery isn’t just rest days or skipping a conditioning circuit. It’s what allows your body to adapt, reset, and actually build the strength you’re working so hard for. Without it, your system stays stuck in overdrive (which is what is called a sympathetic state) and that’s when things start to break down.
In this post, I want to share what recovery really looks like for gymnasts, how to know if you’re not getting enough of it, and simple ways to build it into your routine no matter your level.
🧠 What Recovery Really Means
Let’s start here: recovery isn’t just rest!
Taking a day off is great, but recovery is what your body needs to actually heal, rebuild, and reset physically and neurologically. It’s how your strength sticks. It’s how flexibility improves. It’s how your brain and body stay connected under pressure.
For gymnasts, recovery needs to support more than just bones and muscles. This sport pushes the nervous system, the joints, the reflexes, and the emotional system, too.
If recovery only means “I didn’t go to practice today,” you’re missing the bigger picture.
🧩 What Real Recovery Includes:
Sleep that actually restores (not just 6 hours between practice and school)
Hydration and real fuel, not just quick snacks between rotations.
This point alone needs its own blog post, tutorial, game plan. You name it. This point right here is huge!
Regulation of your nervous system: getting out of “go mode” so the body can calm down and repair
Intentional Chiropractic care that helps the body recover, regulate, and stay in rhythm with training.
Every body is different, but the message is the same: if you want to keep training at your highest level, you have to give your body the tools to keep up.
⚡ Recovery Isn’t Extra, It’s Essential
Recovery isn’t something extra. It’s part of the work.
I know it’s easy to ignore. To think you’re fine. To push through and assume soreness is just normal. I did the same thing until my body told me otherwise.
You don’t have to wait for an injury to start taking care of your body.
You don’t have to wait until you're burnt out to rest.
Start small. Sleep a little more. Drink more water than you think you need. Pay attention to how you feel after practice not just during it.
Your body does more than just show up for skills. It deserves care, too.