i've always been advised that the best way to start off an exercise routine is by going every other day or so, to give the body time to heal.

so far, a friend and i are going on mon-weds-fri. that leaves four days spent no where near a gym.

what are some ideas for me and my friend to participate in, alone or in groups, to stay active without over-burdening ourselves for the next day of exercise?

DETAILS:
my friend and i are going through a routine that has consisted of mostly core-body exercises, (planks, hip lifts, lunges, the like) and is slowly shifting into heavy cardio. the final excursion will be in to plyometrics, but that's a long time away.

so, to repeat the question, what are some good ideas for tues-thurs-sat-sun?

thanks in advance for any and all help

In general the rule on skipping days is when weight lifting or doing other bodyweight type exercises designed to maintain or build muscle. You want to give your muscles recovery time.

That doesn't mean you can't do other kinds of workouts on the in between days. I usually go to the gym 4x-5x a week ... I try to lift weights 2x-3x per week and then I fill in around that with cardio or some kind of class (yoga, step, whatever).

On days that I don't get to the gym, I do at least try to get out and walk or do some yoga stretches or something. But really anything you do to get moving and get your heart going is a good thing.