How to fit a quick workout into your day

1. Take your hand weights in both hands.
2. Place one foot out to the side and one arm back parallel with your leg.
3. Come back in to starting position.
4. Alternate to the other side and continue to alternate back and forth for 12-15 reps.

Tips:

• Use a hand weight that challenges you with 12-15 reps.
• Tighten your gluts for maximum workout.

Quick Exercise 2: Pilates-based exercise

Spread your legs so your heels face inward and toes point outward.
Plie and as you rise back up, lift your leg to the side.
Plie down again and as you rise back up, lift your right leg in the air.
Repeat 12-15 times.

Tips:

• Keep your tailbone underneath
• Keep your arms moving
• More movement = more calories burned

Quick Exercise 3: Kickboxing Movement

Spread your legs a little wider than your hips with your toes facing forward.
Place your hands in front of you in a boxing position.
Hook your arm around as if you were coming to the side of someone’s face.
Alternate arms back and forth, increasing the speed.

Tips:

• Breathe each time you swing your arms.
• Contract your muscles as you go.

Hi I'm Chris Freytag from Prevention magazine and I'd like to demonstrate three moves from my shortcuts program to help you get a quick, effective workout. Now shortcuts meaning good time management and effective exercises to get that workout done in a shorter amount of time.

Let's try an exercise I call a tricep kickback with a side tap. Get some hand weights and always use a hand weight that challenges you with twelve to fifteen reps. Okay one foot out to the side, one tricep kickback. Come back in. Alternate to the other side. Squeeze through your leg muscles, squeeze your glutes. Full body workout when you're using your upper body and lower body and muscle fatigue feels like wow, I'm tired. You want to feel that after twelve to fifteen reps. Keep alternating right and left. One more on each side, I'll show you. Right there.

Let's move on to another exercise. I'll place the weights down and this is a Pilates-based exercise. Heels face in, toes face out, feet are wide. Tuck your tailbone underneath, you're going to plie down in a nice easy position. You're really going to feel this on the top of your thighs and your inner thighs and then you're going to lift your leg to the side. Come down into that plie again and go to the other side. Alternate plie with a leg lift. Arms are moving, more muscle groups, more calories burned. Take it down as far as you can keeping that tailbone underneath. One more each side. It's a big movement and release.

Last movement is a kickboxing movement. Take your toes straight on. Feet a little wider than hip width. Hands here, ready position and hook that arm around as if you're coming to the side of their face. Hook the other arm. Really contract those muscles. Get your rhythm going and the let's speed it up. Good. Breathe each time. Excellent. And relax.

Now try each of these movements one minute a day and you've got yourself an awesome three minute quickie workout.