Why you should do Savasana after *every* workout, according to science

Getting to hang out in Savasana is always the icing on the vegan carrot cake after you finish up your yoga routine. And if you’ve ever laid there wishing every workout ended in the feel-good restorative pose, maybe it should. According to one expert, it can be incredibly beneficial no matter which type of sweat sesh you choose.

While it’s tempting to rush off the second your workout is complete—whether that’s spin, HIIT, or a run—taking five extra minutes to lay in the corpse pose allows your body to “absorb the full effects” of what you just did, helping you get more out of all that time and effort. “Especially in this active, overstimulated world, having a period of forced rest to do nothing but focus on the breath is a chance to really let go,” Tamsin Astor, PhD, told Healthline.

Taking five extra minutes to lay in Savasana post-workout allows your body to absorb the full effects of your workout, helping you get more out of all that time and effort.

Experts say doing Savasana post-workout gives the body the chance to relieve the built-up physical and mental stress that comes from the amped-up intensity, counteracting the stress hormones that are unleashed when you’re in workout-mode. “Your body doesn’t differentiate between stress from running from a tiger, having a long day at work, or a run in the park,” says psychologist Carla Manly, PhD. “Exercise puts us in that fight-or-flight state. Those situations trigger the body to flood itself with adrenaline and cortisol.”

Because being in that state makes your body shut down everything but its most important functions, the rest period also allows everything—organs, included—to start functioning normally again. So no matter what your go-to workout is, those minutes spent breathing deeply in a comfortable position with your eyes closed should become an everyday habit, not just a sporadic treat.

This headband takes the “am I doing it right?” dilemma out of your meditation practice. Or, find out why you fall asleep during meditation—and eight ways to stop.