Total Workout: Cooldown

You did it! You got it going and slammed that workout straight through to the end. But wait — as your well-worked body cools down, remember that, like Keri Hilson in "Turnin Me On," you are well on your way to a healthier you. Bringing your bod gently back to resting levels lessens fatigue, increases circulation, and cuts down on soreness. It's a beautiful thing, especially when Miley Cyrus’ "The Climb" is the song that pulls you back from the brink. Serene songbird Shania Twain lets you down easy with her tender country promise that "You're Still the One" and Mariah Carey alludes to the obvious post-workout result of what is bound to happen when others take notice and you become the object of their admiration: "Obsessed."

Treat your body like the temple it is as our cooldown continues, in Next Steps.

Think of the cooldown as a reward for all your hard workout efforts. Now's the time to feel the blood flowing, the breath slowing — and the temperature dropping. It's all about a tranquil transition; a time to enjoy your cardio comedown to the heavenly rhythms of Sade's sensual quiet-storm groover "Paradise," and to heed the wise words of dance-pop queen Lady GaGa as she steadily eases the pace with “Paparazzi.” And after you've let the smooth, steady uplift of Keane’s “Everybody’s Changing” remind you of the tranformative potential of a satisfying workout followed by an even more nourishing comedown, by all means listen up as Pretty Ricky offer their praise with the hip-hop hymn to "Your Body."

You’re almost there — our cooldown cools down in Deep Cuts.

There's nothing like that end-of-the-workout high, when you're ramping it down and feeling the rush spread through every fiber of your being. You deserve to ride that intensity all the way to its natural conclusion, so go ahead and soak up the warmth of Keane's radiant "Sunshine," take a laid-back ride to chilldom courtesy of Norah Jones and "Don't Know Why," and sail away on the ethereal sonic tide of Enya's "Orinoco Flow." By the time alt-rockers Semisonic announce that it's your workout's "Closing Time," you'll have gotten everything you possibly can from your full-on fitness routine.

Poor cooldown: so important, so rewarding, yet so often forgotten. Your Total Workout just wouldn't be total without that endgame of gentle exercise and stretching to increase blood flow to the places that need it the most. Cooling down means better post-workout energy and fewer aches and pains, not to mention an all-important, all-around sense of accomplishment. So, enlist the likes of classic rockers Journey and their anthemic "Don't Stop Believin’” to make sure you keep the faith in your abilities; take heed of Little River Band's "Cool Change" admonition to help you celebrate your well-earned cooldown. And when you've reached your last minute on the elliptical, lifted that last free weight, or swum your final grueling lap, we've got Queen standing by to applaud your personal triumph with "We Are the Champions" and Madonna reminding you what endurance is all about — that pride you will “Cherish” as the result of all your hard work.