Break it up

Time can sometimes be the ultimate deterrent to exercising. "I don't have time before work," or "There's not enough time between picking up the kids, making dinner, catching up on paperwork." Sound familiar? Don't feel bad if it does. Many of us face similar obstacles.

Thankfully, there's evidence to suggest that breaking your workouts up into two or three smaller parts -- performed at various points in the day -- can be just as effective as one, long workout. Plus, it may be more conducive to your personal schedule.

Findings published in a past issue of the Journal of Strength and Condition Research reveal that among the 37 men and women who were assigned to either a once-daily, 30-minute treadmill walking program or a twice-daily, 15-minute walking program, both groups experienced cardiovascular improvement, but the twice-a-day exercisers improved their blood pressure and heart rate more than the others.

This means that you can probably squeeze two or three shorter exercise sessions into your day without too much scheduling difficulty, and it actually may be even healthier that way.