If soreness lingers for days instead of hours—or recovery feels slower than it used to—you’re not imagining it. What doesn’t help is assuming you’re out of shape or need to push harder to “get used to it.”

You notice it first in the little things. Workouts that leave you sore for days. A late night that takes an entire weekend to bounce back from. A stressful week that lingers in your body long after the stress is gone.