15-minute fitness ideas

Ask any woman why she doesn't work out, and chances are she'll respond: "I don't have time!" Indeed, juggling a career, kids and a to-do list as long as the phone book can make fitness hard to fit in. But before you shove your running shoes to the back of the closet, you may want to rethink your attitude, says Kelli Calabrese, MS, CSCS, an exercise physiologist and former spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.

"Many women have an 'all or nothing' mentality," says Calabrese. "They assume they have to exercise for at least an hour, or why bother? But contrary to popular belief, shorter workouts can have big benefits."

Calabrese suggests squeezing in one to two 15-minute workouts daily, on your lunch break or before dinner, for example. "Exercising increases your energy, so you accomplish more in less time. Plus, it improves the quality of your sleep, so you may not need to sleep as long," explains Calabrese. "And that leaves more time for fitness."

If you've been sedentary, talk to your doctor before you start an exercise plan. Before beginning a workout, warm up for several minutes with an easy jog in place. A good guidepost for your exercise is not to go above an intensity that you would rate as "somewhat hard."

Try any or all of these three 15-minute workouts.

Get your heart rate up by walking briskly or jogging up and down a flight of stairs. As you raise your fitness level, you can increase your speed on each flight up. Continue to descend each flight at a moderate pace. For a great cardio workout (when you're physically up to it), do this for 15 minutes instead of 5.

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