A total body exercise even you have time for

Running off to a seven o'clock meeting tonight, only an hour after getting back from work? Have to shuttle the kids off to soccer practice, but still have to squeeze in a trip to the grocery store, dry cleaners, and the bank some time in between? The list of daily obligations can go on and on, can't it? This is probably why working out may never seem to make it into your daily routine -- It Doesn't Fit!!

This may very well be the case; or, perhaps more accurately, it just may seem like it's the case. Despite what many so-called fitness gurus may tell you, it's not necessary to spend half your life in a gym in order to get in better shape. In fact, working out for over an hour per day can lead to the release of a greater amount of cortisol, a hormone that can actually cause you to gain weight.

Okay ... talk, talk, talk. That's all I've done so far. How about something more substantial, Chris? Sure thing. Here's an exercise you can do that will work just about your entire body. Best of all, you can squeeze it into those in those tiny spaces that exist between junior's academic decathlon quarter-finals and your evening conference call with the folks in the Houston branch who want to discuss the new product roll-out (don't ask ... this scenario was just the first to pop into my head).

The exercise is called the dumbbell alternating lunge and overhead press. If it sounds like a few exercises rolled into one, it's because it is. This one move will help bolster your core strength, strengthen and tone your shoulders and triceps, and firm and tighten your legs and butt. And, if you perform mutiple sets with very minimal time taken for breaks in between, it will also prove to be a great cardiovascular workout.

Explaining how to perform this exercise in words may turn out to do more harm than good. That's why I'll instead link you to a video demonstration from the Men's Health website.