For the more compulsive among us, taking days off from exercise may seem wasteful. However, experts say, you body needs time to rest if you're going to get the most out of your workouts.

According to WeightLossForAll.com, when we work ou,t our muscles break down and the more we exercise, the more they degrade. Therefore, it is essential that we give the muscles time to rebuild protein and energy before we work out again.

If we don't, the muscles actually get smaller, which lowers your metabolism. And lower metabolism means fewer calories getting burned. That's a disaster for someone trying to lose weight.

So you must rest, even if you don't want to. Get plenty of sleep and take a day off between hard workouts. You deserve it!

Now, if only I can just remember to take my own advice....

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com