Improving as an endurance athlete requires two things: training and recovery. The better you recover, the more effective training you can do, and the more improvements you can make.

But how to recover better? Here are 9 ways. They're all pretty easy to understand; some are easy to do, and some take a bit of work.

But all are very effective, and we know this because we are using HRV (heart rate variability) as the metric. A high HRV means you're primed for good training; a low HRV means you might need some more recovery. Similarly, if you have a wearable device like an Oura or a Whoop, you can track how things like alcohol and poor sleep lower your HRV. And you can track how improving your diet, your sleep habits, and your stress level can raise your HRV.

Tune in for 9 ways to up your HRV, up your recovery, and up your endurance athletics game.