Oh, yea - I always refill my water bottle so I can gulp it down on my way home.

That's interesting so many people wash their hands post-workout. For some reason I've never thought about doing that. I drink so much water that I usually pee at least once while I'm at the gym, so I do wash my hands mid-workout.

After I exercise in the morning I vaccuum and mop sometimes. I figure I'm already sweaty and might as well do it before I shower. Or sometimes I run to the store afterwards.

Other times I drink water, shower, then eat breakfast.

After yoga class: put on different pants and drive home.

After hiking: stretch, change all clothes in parking lot (bring a skirt for easy changing), and drive home.

I hate driving in sweaty clothes, and fresh clothes make every thing better.

I eat a twinkie. ;-)

Seriously though, wash my hands (I wash my hands when I get home from ANY activity, can't bring germs into the house!) wash my face, sometimes shower, sometimes I pass out, sometimes I post on dailymile, oh yeah, and my last step after any of the aforementioned activities are to relax with yoga toes on!

I stretch, drink a full glass of water, and get in a hot bath. If I ate breakfast before, I'll usually have a banana. If I didn't eat breakfast before, I have my homemade granola and grapefruit juice.

I almost always shower after my workout...it's part of my reward, and makes me feel really relaxed. Especially nice because I usually work out at night, so there's not much to do afterward but hang out at home for a bit and then go to bed!

I wash my hands, splash my face, and drink water as well.

Drive home and shower. I actually wash my hands before showering because if I don't I feel like I can't touch my face in the shower. I got ring worm at the gym once, so yeah...wash those hands!!!

I also love to stretch out in the pool after a really good workout session, which usually leads to swimming laps. Then nothing beats the hot tub! And then, if I have time on a real treat day...A NAP!

Ringworm, wow. Definitely do not want that, so I'm very glad I incorporate hand washing into my routine. After I wash my hands and face I usually go to the bathroom because all the water I drink during my workout just seems to hit me at once. Most of the time I drive home and shower after that, but sometimes I will shower at the gym.

At the gym at my office, I work out at the end of the day, & when I am done, I put my sweaty workout clothes into a plastic grocery bag & tie the handles in a knot, change back into my work clothes -- trying to avoid the male cleaning guys, who are anxious to get to work in the ladies' locker room, and of course, I'm usually the sole female closing it out -- and head back to my desk. The vacuums are going around me by then. I'm the only one there. I check e-mails, send a few replies. I sometimes log my workout on the Exercise Thread. Then I drive home in the dark, in the blessedly light traffic. Usually singing with the radio.

At the gym near my home, I walk outside with my wet hair & I am in an exceptionally good mood. Walking feels so easy & pleasant. I've got some music in my head or on my iPod & I am walking, walking to the beat. The sidewalk is so much easier to push away than a bike pedal or an elliptical pedal set on a high resistance. I go by the little Korean market with flowers spilling out on the sidewalk & I am so happy to walk between the crates of flowers. My apartment is about a block away. The lights are on in the building & people are coming home from work & sitting down to dinner or "American Idol" or whatever. It looks homey. I will soon be having my bit of supper. It's a good moment.

I reward myself with a soak in a hot tub.

saef -- beautiful post

i do what most people here do -- relax, take a shower/bath, eat a little protein, sleep. i work out late at night, so it fits.

so it's not a terrible thing to sleep after exercising? I always assumed it was a really bad habit of mine to take naps or go to bed afterward.

I was once told not to drink water immediately after exercise, but to wait until my heart wasn't beating any more and I stopped perspiring. That's a crock. It's probably a crock that you shouldn't sleep, too.

Immediately wash my hands and face, then sweat some more. Then wash my face again. I also tend to weigh myself in the mornings AFTER I work out.