You may think that every day is a good day to fake sick, but if you're really determined to fake your illness, then you should put a bit more thought into it. If you pick the wrong day to fake sick, then it'll be a lot harder to make a convincing case for yourself. Instead, make sure that the odds are in your favor before you execute your master plan. Here are some things to keep in mind: Be prepared to be extra convincing if you call in on a Monday or Friday. It'll be harder for your boss to believe you're really feeling sick during a long weekend. Make sure you haven't recently been sick or taken a lot of time off. Don't fake sick right after you've had an altercation at work, or after you've done a lot of grumbling. You don't want your boss to see your fake illness as an affront. Your illness will be much more convincing if all was fine and dandy the last time you went to work. Try not to conveniently miss a particularly unpleasant day at work. If your boss knows you hate the dreaded monthly meetings, then you shouldn't fake sick on this particular day no matter how good it will feel. Try to fake sick when someone else at work was sick, or if it's flu season. That way your boss won't be too suspicious, since everyone is getting sick. If you plan to call in sick, then you should make an effort to seem sick the day before without being too obvious about it. Don't fake a cough throughout the day, but act a little bit under the weather and even sniffle a little, leading your coworkers to ask if you're feeling sick while brushing them off. Act like you're sick, but in denial about it, so that your coworkers don't suspect that you're faking it. Setting up this foundation the day before will make it more convincing when you take the next day off. Act more reserved that day, too. If you're extra energetic one day and then call in sick the next day, people will be surprised. Turn down invitations to lunch or happy hours the day before you call in sick. Try to "subtly" take an Advil around your coworkers. Blow your nose a little more often than usual. If you do have lunch with your coworkers, don't eat all of your food so it looks like you don't have much of an appetite. Look slightly unkempt that day. Tussle your hair a bit, don't wear your best outfit, and be okay with looking a little tired around the eyes. Though your boss may not ask too many questions, it's important to know what you're sick with before you call. Instead of just saying you don't feel well, saying you have a migraine, stomach flu, or just a regular cold can help make your argument more convincing. You should prepare to answer any questions your boss may ask you, like when you started feeling sick, when you'll be back, and whether you'll see a doctor. You don't want to sound uncertain, or your boss will suspect that you're faking it. If you want to take off multiple days, pick a good illness. A migraine or a bad case of gastroenteritis can get you off for two or more days, as they can carry on for a long time and pop up at any time. Pink eye and strep throat can drag on longer. Whatever you choose, do your research thoroughly so that you can discuss the symptoms with clarity. You can even rehearse the conversation with a close friend to make sure you can pull it off. Chances are, your boss won't want to get into the details of what's going on with your stomach or throat, but it's best to be prepared. Don't fake sick and then go hiking with your wife or throw a wild party for your friends. If you fake sick and then act super social, it'll get back to your boss. Instead, you should call in sick when you really feel like just being in bed, hanging out around the house, and taking it easy doing pretty much what you would do if you were actually sick, minus the feeling ill part. Besides, if you spend your sick day outdoors and show up to work with a tan, that will look pretty suspicious. While you're at it, it's a good idea to log off any social media sites that you might be tempted to visit on your "sick day." That way, your boss won't stumble over photos of you hiking in the middle of your supposedly debilitating illness or leaving comments that raise suspicions of good health.

Summary: Pick a good time to do it. Lay down some groundwork. Know your illness inside and out. Prepare to take it easy at home.

Walk around the park or your neighborhood at a moderate to fast pace. Walk after work, during your lunch break, or in the morning after you eat breakfast. Walking your dog is another great way to fulfill your 20 to 30 minutes of daily walking. If you do not have time to walk every day, trying biking or running 3 days out of the week for 45 minutes. Bike or run around your neighborhood or the park at a moderate to fast pace. For the best results, maintain a heart rate of 20 to 30 bpm while biking and running. Before or after you walk or bike, do 1 to 2 sets of push ups, planks, and sit ups. Start with a low number of repetitions if you haven't been doing strengthening exercises regularly. As you become stronger, increase the repetitions. For example, do 2 sets of 5 push ups during the first 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, increase your push ups to 8 or 10 push ups.
Summary: Walk for 20 to 30 minutes every day. Bike or run for 45 minutes every other day. Incorporate strengthening exercises into your workout routine twice a week.