Rest

Rest is the best kept secret in the world of exercise. I know I feel guilty when I'm being lazy doing nothing, but really, the secret to to excelling and building muscle is to rest and give your body time to recover on a regular basis. For some, that means doing a different kind of exercise every day. Weight lifters don't lift every day, and if they do, they work different muscle groups each day.

When training for my 10 mile run, i ran 5 days/week and did NOTHING the other 2 days. I sure wish I had spent those two days weight training and only run 4 days. Live and Learn!

Now that I have some good strengthening exercises and stretches in my brain, I try to make sure to do those at least 2 days/week. They help improve my "runners knee" and keep up my leg strength to support my running. I do other exercises to work on my core, since your core (hips/abs) are what keep you upright doing anything. I have my PT guys and my chiropractor to thank for giving me tips for these.

I still like to have at least 1 day/week where i do nothing. no extra walking, no running, no weights. Maybe some stretching, cuz that always feels good.

Anyway, my point is... REST!!! You won't gain weight from a day or two of rest - as long as you eat within reasonable limits. ;)