I don't have time to do a cardio and a weight workout. Which one should I give up? – Kathleen Boyd, Stanford, Conn.

There are two myths we can bust here. The first: You have to spend hours a day to get in shape and lose weight. The second: You have to separate your strength training routine from your cardio routine. A type of workout known as circuit training allows you to work your heart and muscles at the same time while burning calories at warp-factor speed.

In a circuit training routine, you jump from one exercise to the next with no or just a few seconds rest in between sets. It's the perfect routine for people who are time-challenged or want to juice up their current exercise routines. Though circuit training won't pack as much of a cardio punch as true aerobic activities like walking and jogging, or as much muscle shaping as slow and steady traditional weight training, doing two to three circuits a week will result in moderate strength gains and good cardiovascular benefits. A 20-minute, high-intensity circuit will burn off upwards of 250 calories, which is comparable to running an eight-minute mile. That's a great overall fitness package.

Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best reponses with you, we'll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.

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This week we wanted to know your creative ways to burn calories. You offered up these gems via Twitter:

Yes, breaking up is hard to do. But then again, it's the best attitude to have when working out if you want to be more efficient at burning calories.

Why not take two back-to-back 30-minute workouts when doing that treadmill or elliptical cardio workout? Instead of going for an entire hour, try splitting up your session with a 20-minute rest in between.

Combine cardio and weight training in a single workout as well, but just don't combine the sessions without a break. That is, if your goal is to get those calories burned with the best combination of effort and efficiency.

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If you find that some days make it hard to get in that run, walk or treadmill routine, try a good dose of housework instead and lose a chunk of calories anyway.

According to this source, regular cleaning activities like washing dishes and mopping the floor (among others) burned about 50,000 calories per year. Wow!

In other words, standard household chores are equivalent to walking more than 22 miles each and every year. It's something we have to do anyway, so instead of having the spouse or kids (or housecleaner) clean that house, do it yourself and get some calorie burning in there.

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With spring coming, it's nice to know that for almost all of us, burning a simple 100 calories is as easy as doing some household exercises we perform all the time. In addition to playing with your kids outside, how about the activities below? These are great ways to burn off calories with things you may already do:


1. Play outdoor games with the kids (tic-tac-toe, four square).
2. Resist the urge to order takeout food and spend just 30 minutes preparing a delicious, low-fat meal.
3. Take a 20-minute walk with your dog (or borrow a neighbor's) in the morning.
4. Get romantic. Just a half hour of slow dancing with your spouse or significant other will burn those calories
5. Spend just 15 minutes bowling, 30 minutes playing Frisbee, 18 minutes golfing or play 13 hands of cards.
6. Catch up with family and friends. Spend an hour getting in touch with your family and friends by e-mail, which burns calories due to the typing. I knew blogging was healthy!
7. Plant some flower bulbs, so they bloom just in time for warm weather.
8. Wash the car.
9. Repair your own clothes.
10. Take the stairs.

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