[Video] Holiday Hustle Workout

This time of year it seems the activity never ends. From work and holiday parties, planning events with family and friends, and of course trying to get all that holiday shopping done, who has time to work out?

Unfortunately, what with all of our busyness, plus our tendency to eat lots of holiday goodies, the holiday months are those that we tend to pack on those unwanted pounds. Even those of us who are usually very dedicated about working out may find our resolve slipping.

That's why, this month, we're dedicated to bringing you a short, intense, and effective weekly workout! We promise every workout will take 15 minutes or less. All you need to do is commit to doing each workout 3 times that week, and you will definitely put a dent in those holiday pounds before they even take hold of your hips!

This week's workout takes just 8 minutes, but it will definitely get you moving, get your heart rate up, and tone your entire body. It requires no equipment, so you can do it in your living room or even on a break at work - just about anywhere!

Let's get your workout in, and then you can get back to your regular holiday hustle and bustle.  :-)

Video: 8-Minute Quick Sweat Cardio Workout

This workout is so short you can probably even fit it into a break at work!  It's a great way to break up long periods of sitting, and help avoid some of the risks of "sitting disease" as we discussed on Tuesday.

Only 8 minutes long, this quick cardio workout includes 8 hard-hitting moves done for 45 seconds each, with a 10 second break between each move.

While this won't provide you with all of the exercise you need for the day, it's definitely a nice short one that you can fit in just about anywhere, to help get your blood moving, and your heart pumping.

No equipment is needed, so why not jump up out of your seat and try it right now?

Quick Sweat Cardio Workout: 

Video - 6-Minute Full Body Toning Workout

Believe it or not, this quick workout works the whole body in just 6 minutes. Yes, it's fast! But you'll work muscles from your ankles to your arms, and everything in between. Some of the exercises can be challenging, so be sure to note her suggestions for modifications so you don't overdo it, and you may want to slow it down a bit to make sure you're using your muscles and not momentum for some of the faster ones.

If you've only got 6 minutes to get toned, this is a good one to bookmark and keep in your arsenal of quick workouts for whenever you need one.

Meggin's Short Workout #1
Great 6 minute workout for a fast toning session. Exercise with a gymnast, stuntwoman, gymnastics coach, and aerialist!

How To Get Fit 10 Minutes At A Time

Experts recommend working out 45 minutes to an hour a day (30 minutes for beginners) for weight loss and fitness. But if you're like most people, you don't always have a block of 30 to 60 minutes a day to devote exclusively to doing your workouts.

Image via WikipediaYou can still exercise--you just need to sneak in the equivalent in resourceful ways. "The idea is to keep moving," says fitness expert Ann Grandjean, EdD. "Get a cordless phone or put a long cord on your regular phone, and walk when you talk. Find whatever works for you and just move. Park half a mile from the mall and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Those little, itty-bitty things add up."

Every Stolen Moment Adds Up

Lest you think that short bursts of activity have a negligible effect on your fitness program, think again. One study found that women who split their exercise into 10-minute increments were more likely to exercise consistently, and lost more weight after 5 months, than women who exercised for 20 to 40 minutes at a time.

In a landmark study conducted at the University of Virginia, exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser, PhD, asked men and women to complete 15 10-minute exercise routines a week. After just 21 days, the volunteers' aerobic fitness was equal to that of people 10 to 15 years younger. Their strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility were equal to those of people up to 20 years their junior.

In yet another study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore found that for improving health and fitness in inactive adults, many short bursts of activity are as effective as longer, structured workouts. "It would be useful for people to get out of the all-or-nothing mind-set that unless they exercise for 30 minutes, they're wasting their time," says Gaesser.

Breaking exercise into small chunks on your overscheduled days can also keep your confidence up, says Harold Taylor, time management expert and owner of Harold Taylor Time Consultants in Toronto, who has written extensively on the subject. "Skipping exercise altogether is 'de-motivational'--you feel depressed and guilty," Taylor says. "If you skip it, you tend to figure, 'What's the use? I can't keep up with it anyway.' Yet as long as you make some effort each day, that motivates you onward. Success breeds success."

Working short bursts of exercise into your daily routine can help you get your full hour of exercise every day, often without even realizing it. Be sure to visit this blog regularly for 10-minute exercise tips and ideas, and you can also find more fun ways to exercise here.