Much of your training will go to waste if you're not devoting equal time and effort to your recovery. The physiological gains from exercise take place while you're at rest: Blood flows into damaged muscles and joints, capillaries expand for improved oxygen delivery, and tissues prepare for the next onslaught. But that requires the right ingredients—high-quality nutrients and honest-to-God downtime to offset stress. Take our quiz to see how you're doing and, better yet, discover ways to improve an oft-neglected pillar of fitness.

Active Recovery
I do ___ really hard workouts per week
a. 4 (-4)
b. 2 (+4)
c. 0 (+0)

My recovery days include:
a. Low-intensity, low-volume activity (+2)
b. Pick-up hoops, push-up contests, swimming intervals (-2, -2, -2)
c. Sleeping in, eating Cocoa Puffs, Iron Chef (+2, -2, +0)

I stretch:
a. Statically, before workouts (-1)
b. Dynamically, before workouts (+1)
c. After workouts (+3)
d. Um, yeah—no (-2)

After hard workouts and races:
a. I jump in the car and drive home (-1)
b. I hit the hot tub (-2)
c. I jog or spin easy for 15 minutes, then stretch for 10 (+3)

I get massages from:
a. A trained physical therapist monthly (+5)
b. Myself, using foam rollers, weekly (+1)
c. My wife, when I'm good (+0)

True or False? On my recovery days, I regularly practice yoga.
a. True (+2)
b. False (+0)

I practice periodization, which means:
a. I train hard but sometimes train harder (-3)
b. I intersperse hard training with periods of low-intensity training throughout the year, including a month or two "off" (+3)

Nutrition I eat:
a. As much as I want. Hey, I'm working out! (-3)
b. Small, healthy meals throughout the day (+5)
c. Occasionally, when I have time (-3)
d. Big, right before I hit the sack (-3)

I'm most likely to skip:
a. Breakfast (-4)
b. Lunch (-3)
c. Dinner (-2)
d. Dessert (+1)

I eat a green salad:
a. Almost every day (+3)
b. A couple times a week (+1)
c. A couple times a month (-5)
d. Sorry, I'm a meatatarian (-9)

I'm usually:
a. Starving (-3)
b. Snacking on something wholesome (+2)
c. Stuffing my face (-1)

I drink:
a. An ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight, daily (+3)
b. Eight glasses a day, just like Mom said (+1)
c. When I'm parched (-1)
d. To forget (-4)

My stimulant of choice is:
a. Green tea (+2)
b. Coffee (+0)
c. Frappuccinos (-3)
d. Monster (-3)

Within an hour after hard workouts and competitions, I consume: a. Plain old water (+1)
b. A recovery drink with a 4-to-1 carb-protein ratio (+3)
c. Chocolate milk (+2)
d. Miller High Life (-1)

Rest & Relaxation
Over the course of a workweek, I get:
a. Eight or more hours of sleep a night (+5)
b. About seven (-1)
c. About six (-3)
d. Less than six, but I make up for it on Saturdays (-5)

I fall asleep:
a. Before midnight (+2)
b. After midnight (-2)

Number of hours per week I work:
a. 40 (+0)
b. 50 (-2)
c. 60 (-3)
d. 70 (-4)

I keep a training-and-nutrition log because:
a. It helps me see when I've been pushing too hard and adjust accordingly (+3)
b. I'm anal and can't help it (+1)
c. Why do I need to write this stuff down? (-2)

I take vacations:
a. Once a month (+2)
b. Twice a year (+1)
c. To see my in-laws (-5)

Which of these phrases have you said in the Past week? (choose up to four)
a. "I'll sleep when I'm dead" (-4)
b. "Things are so crazy right now" (-2)
c. "Hi, do you do takeout after midnight?" (-2)
d. "Aaahhh . . ." (+3)

On a scale of 1–10, rate your overall happiness level (add your answer to your score)

Contributing editor Nick Heil wrote about the Black Diamond Company in May.