A quick two-minute read:
At the end of a session at By Design, we ask you to do something that might feel a bit odd: two minutes of absolutely nothing. We call it AMNAP, ‘As Many Naps As Possible’. We also call it ByDesign Chill. Either way, it isn't about falling asleep. It's about stopping on purpose.
We spend a lot of time teaching people to work harder. Lift a bit heavier. Show up consistently. Build capacity. But hardly anyone teaches you how to switch off afterwards. Most of us finish training, grab our phone and rush into the next thing. Slowing down is a skill too, and skills need practice.
Here's how it works. Find a spot on the floor. Lie down and put your phone away. Let your breathing slow on its own, without forcing it. Notice where you're holding tension and let it go. That's it. Two minutes.
While you're lying there, your heart rate and breathing are already starting to settle after the work you've just done. AMNAP gives you a moment to notice that happening. And noticing your breathing is the first step to being able to change it, which comes in handy well outside the gym.
The last bit is my favourite: a little gratitude. Before you move on to whatever's next, think about what your body just did. A heavier lift. A tough session. Or just turning up on a day you didn't feel like it. Your body did that.
Got a few more minutes? Keep reading.
Why the end of a session? During training your heart rate climbs, your breathing quickens and your body shifts into a more alert, ready-for-action state. When you stop, it starts winding back down. How quickly that happens varies a lot between people and depends on how hard you worked. Two minutes won't finish that process. It's a deliberate first step, instead of going straight from your last set to your inbox.
Breathe, don't force it. Straight after a hard set, your breathing can feel fast and hard to control. Don't try to take huge breaths. Let it come down gradually. Once it settles, try making each out-breath a little longer. We've written more about slow breathing and box breathing in Why Is It So Hard to Relax?
The other 23.5 hours. Most rehab focuses on the exercise itself. But how you sleep, how you sit, how stressed you are and how well you recover all happen in the rest of your day. That's why stress and recovery sit alongside training in our Six Factors of Health. AMNAP is a small, repeatable way to practise the recovery side, two minutes at a time.
What AMNAP isn't. It isn't a scientifically tested recovery protocol, and two minutes on the floor won't replace good sleep, enough food or sensible training load. It's a habit. A small, deliberate pause that reminds you recovery is part of training, not something you do once everything else is finished.
Try it after your next session.
Lie down.
Phone away.
Let your breathing settle.
Notice what your body just did.
Sometimes the most useful thing you can practise is doing nothing at all.
Try AMNAP After Your Next Workout!
At By Design Physiotherapy & Strength in North Hobart, we think learning to recover matters as much as learning to train.
Next time you train, give yourself two minutes to stop, breathe and notice what your body just did.
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About This Article
Author: Marissa Seeley, Physiotherapist and Co-Founder
Clinic: By Design Physiotherapy & Strength, North Hobart, Tasmania
Publication date: 15 November 2026
Last reviewed: 13 November 2026
By Design Framework
AMNAP (As Many Naps As Possible), also called BD chill, is an internal By Design practice encouraging intentional rest after exercise. The Six Factors of Health is a By Design educational framework used to guide broader health conversations.
Neither has been independently evaluated as a specific intervention or assessment tool. The references below support aspects of exercise recovery and slow breathing, not AMNAP itself.
References
Stanley J, Peake JM, Buchheit M. (2013). Cardiac parasympathetic reactivation following exercise: implications for training prescription. Sports Medicine, 43(12), 1259–1277. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-013-0083-4.
Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353.
This is general information only. If you're managing pain or an injury, speak with your physio about what's right for you.
