Celebrity fitness trainer Sohrab Khushrushahi reveals 5 recovery mistakes stopping you from achieving your body goals

Sohrab Khushrushahi explains how recovery isn’t just lying on the couch all day. It’s intentional — a long walk, breathwork, or even stretching — and essential.

Sohrab Khushrushahi, a celebrity fitness coach and founder of SOHFIT and The Func Lab, has worked with big names like actors Alia Bhatt and Kiara Advani and filmmaker Karan Johar. He's also trained athletes from the Mumbai Indians and Pro Kabaddi. Sohrab believes in keeping fitness simple and accessible. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, he highlighted that recovery is key to sustainable progress in fitness despite often being overlooked.

According to him, ‘recovery isn’t the cherry on top’ — it’s the foundation for sustainable progress: “The most consistent people aren’t the ones who train the hardest. They’re the ones who understand how to balance effort with rest, fuel with intention, and recover like it’s part of the plan—not an afterthought.”

Sohrab identified five common recovery mistakes people make, even when training consistently. According to him, “There’s a common theme I see with people who train consistently but still feel stuck — they’re doing the workouts, tracking the steps, maybe even counting macros... but the progress just isn’t there. Nine times out of ten, it’s not the training that’s broken. It’s the recovery.”

“The truth is, recovery isn’t sexy. It doesn’t get you likes on Instagram. But if you want sustainable progress, it’s absolutely non-negotiable. Over the years, I’ve coached everyone from Bollywood celebrities to everyday working professionals, and across the board, I’ve seen the same five recovery mistakes repeated again and again,” Sohrab added before explaining them.

1. Underestimating the power of sleep

According to Sohrab, sleep is crucial for muscle repair, hormone regulation, and nervous system reset, and he suggested prioritising sleep like you do workouts. He said, “We talk a lot about training stress, but sleep is your No. 1 recovery tool — it’s where real transformation happens. This is when your muscles repair, hormones regulate, and your nervous system resets.”

“Yet most people are running on 5-6 hours, scrolling before bed, waking up groggy, and wondering why they’re not making gains. My advice? Prioritise sleep like you prioritise your workouts. Cut screens an hour before bed, keep your room dark and cool, and try to build a consistent bedtime routine — even on weekends,” Sohrab added.

2. Skimping on hydration

Dehydration impacts performance, energy, and mood, therefore, focus on electrolyte balance, especially in humid or high-intensity conditions, Sohrab said. “This one sounds basic, but it’s wild how often people overlook it. Dehydration affects performance, energy, digestion, and even mood. If you're training regularly and not replenishing lost fluids — especially sodium — you’re essentially running on a half-empty tank. It’s not just about drinking more water. Think electrolyte balance, especially if you’re in a humid city, doing high-intensity training, or sweating a lot,” he explained.

3. Neglecting protein intake post-workout

He shared that you should get quality protein for fat loss, lean muscle, or recovery, and choose effective, easily digestible supplements. “You don’t need a shaker in your hand the second you finish your last rep, but you do need to get quality protein in—especially if your goal is fat loss, lean muscle, or recovery. Most people under-eat protein throughout the day or choose supplements that are underdosed, packed with fillers, or hard to digest. When we built our Plant Protein, we stripped all the fluff and focused on efficacy and absorption because getting that recovery window right makes a massive difference,” he said.

4. Mistaking rest for recovery

Recovery is active and intentional — think mobility work, walks, or stretching, he said: “Recovery isn’t just lying on the couch all day. It’s intentional. It could be mobility work, a long walk, breathwork, or even a proper stretching protocol. Doing nothing is not the same as doing something restorative. Recovery is active. It’s what you do between sessions that determines how well you show up in the next one.”

5. Being 'on' all the time

Sohrab shared you must balance effort with rest as chronic stress can stall progress, and said, “This one’s less physical, more mental. We live in hustle culture. People are constantly pushing — more reps, more classes, more metrics. But your nervous system needs downtime too. Chronic stress, even if it’s not from training, can stall fat loss, disrupt sleep, and make you feel like you’re plateauing. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is take a rest day, go for a quiet walk, or just breathe. You can’t out-train poor recovery.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.