It's been a hard lesson to learn--and all the harder because the standard advice permeates the communities and the atmosphere. But six months of only exercising once a week gets me further than six months of doing what "everybody says" is the best way to build muscle and stamina.

I've always said I'm a slow healer, slow but thorough. Recovery from illnesses and surgeries takes me a lot longer than other people. But I heal all the way if I let myself heal at my natural pace. Paying attention to something as simple as how it feels to walk a little slower instead of as fast as I want on any particular day makes a difference.