Photo: powerhousehitthedeck.com

Maybe you're traveling a lot lately, or perhaps you're just really busy with work (or kids, or, you know, life). And maybe it seems like you can't possibly find time for fitness -- heck, finding more than two consecutive minutes seems practically impossible.

Powerhouse Hit the Deck ($19.99) is a fun, unique way to fit a workout into your day, even if you only have a couple of minutes to spare. The idea is simple -- there are 30 workout cards, divided into three sections; No Sweat, I'm Glistening and Sweating Buckets. A timer and five warm up/cool down cards are also included.

You then select however many cards you want to do from whatever category you like, set the timer (it's recommended you start with intervals of 30 seconds), and do as many repetitions of the exercise listed on your card as possible before the timer sounds. Then, you move on to the next one.

Depart the 45-minute cardio kick and pump up your fitness intervals to zap away belly fat. This ruler of fitness efficiency is fantastic at targeting ab fat and more.

FitSugar shares six important reasons why you need regular interval training in your workouts. Do 'em and your abs will cheer.

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Walking's just good fitness -- it's free and needs little equipment to get started. But let's say you want to bump up that walking workout a little, what then?

The folks over at Jyze think they have the answer for you -- a wind-up band that you pull and tug while you walk. Watching the video on the Jyze website, I have two thoughts: 1) Looks like it might be a great arm workout, and 2) What happens if you trip?

The makers of Jyze say that the band can create 3 to 30 pounds of resistance, which would probably help to tone your arms and boost your heart rate, but the folks over at Diet-Blog are wondering about the dork factor. Is that little boost in your workout worth being seen using the Jyze while you walk?

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I do a lot of interval training for many reasons. For one thing, it's been shown to increase fat loss, plus, interval training is still good for my heart. Add to that the fact that it helps to suppress the appetite, keeps me interested, and is touted by one of my favorite celebrity trainers, and you should understand why I shy away from doing too many long, steady-paced jogs.

Interval training also allows you to burn a lot of calories in not a lot of time, and Tabata intervals take that a step further. Rather than going hard for a minute and taking it easy for a minute (or two), Tabata relies on really short, really hard intervals.

Start out by warming up (of course), then throw yourself into a hard run (or whatever your cardio choice is) -- aim for a 9 on the RPE scale. Stick with that for 20 seconds, then slow waaaay down, but only for 10 seconds. Then, push it back up. DietBlog suggests trying to repeat this six times, but if you can't do it right away, don't worry -- just keep working at it!

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If you're training for a race, chances are you have some sort of game plan. Unless you're like me, of course -- I read the game plan, take it into account, and then do something that suits me better. Perhaps that's why I'm not competing for top spots in most races.

Still, whether you follow a training plan closely or do your own thing, it's important that you find a way to train that allows you to improve, yet avoid injuries. And who better to learn from than a man who is still running some of his best times at the age of 52?

Tom Ryan, 52, completed a 5K in just over 16 minutes last year. By running smarter, not longer, he's remained injury free, and he shared his tips with Active.com. Check out the gallery for a few tips on how to have a perfect week of training, and see the full article for specifics on training for your chosen distance.

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Name: Chuck Marshall

Age: 44

Occupation: Programmer

How often do you exercise? Five to six days a week .

What type of exercise do you do? Body weight strength training and cardio. I like to do intervals, elliptical, rowing, and running (when I'm not injured).

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Are you looking to improve your body? Silly question, isn't it? I think almost all of us have an area or two (or three or four) that we'd like to improve. While you can't lose weight in certain spots, you can target and tone your problem areas. Here are eight tips:

• Want to lose that muffin top? Try sprints, interval training or other intense cardio exercises. Also, when doing crunches, aim for constant tension in your abs. Pilates is also great exercise for your core.
• Trying to lose weight all over? Be sure to mix up your exercise routine. Try doing something different twice a week. Adding fast bursts of fitness to your routine can help, too. And don't forget strength training!
  
• Looking for a better bottom? Plyometrics are great for your glutes. Hip extensions and step-ups are also good choices.
• Want to shed back fat? The seated row and wide-grip lat pull are effective for this area. But don't forget the cardio. Also, it's a good idea to work the opposing muscle group so work your pecs as well.

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Walking is great exercise all on its own. It's perfect for most any fitness level and doesn't require any special equipment. But if you add a few of the following techniques to your daily walk, you can significantly increase the number of calories burned and burn some of that dangerous and unsightly belly fat.

CNN recommends one of three methods for putting the punch into your walking workout:

• Plyometrics: These moves might make you feel a little silly at first, but you'll be the one laughing when that belly felt melts off. Add moves like bounding, jumping, and skipping to your walking workout.
• Hills: This is easy if you live in a hilly neighborhood. Substitute about 25% of your usual flat walking route with a hilly one. If you live in a flat area, you can program a hilly workout into a treadmill instead.
• Intervals: Intervals are surprisingly fun. Just keep up your normal moderate pace for ten minutes, then speed up for one minute. Return to your former pace for three minutes, then speed up again for a minute. Repeat this three or four times, then go back to your moderate pace.
  
  

Check out the full CNN article to find out how to make these walking techniques work for you and get ready to blast that belly fat!

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I don't know about you, but when I set out to drop some weight, I don't mind working extra hard for a defined period of time. I know, I know -- it should be a life choice, but the fact of the matter is that, while I can hit the gym six or seven days a week for several weeks, most of the time I'm more likely to get there five days, and sometimes less. So, when I received a copy of The Six-Week Bikini Countdown, I was stoked -- I can totally stick with a program for a month and a half!

The book, by Karon Karter (host of Pilates from the Inside Out) has some really good features. Each week has cardio, weight-training, and Pilates incorporated for a well-rounded workout.

Some of the workouts aren't too hard -- the first week, I found myself adding intensity to the cardio and doing extras on the weights. However, Week Two was harder, and by Week Three, I was working really hard. However, I tend to work hard at the gym anyway -- this book would be extremely challenging for someone brand new to fitness.

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For quite some time, researchers believed that the tortoise approach of slow and stead truly won the fat-burning race. Working at 65-70 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR) was typically what was considered to be the ideal "fat-burning zone" (as evidenced by the fact that this very information still appears on some pieces of cardio equipment).

However, this school of thought has been challenged by a number of newer studies, and a growing number of people now subscribe to the idea that shorter, high-intensity interval workouts are much more effective at stripping away fat.

Researchers from Cornell University found that high-intensity intervals burn 30-percent more calories per workout than longer, low- to moderate-intensity sessions. And, a separate study, appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, revealed that men who completed 20 weeks of interval training lost nine times more fat than men who followed a more traditional endurance program.

The takeaway? Start ramping up your workout. Try running (or any other form of cardiovascular exercise) for short bursts at a very difficult pace, followed by a minute or two of low-intensity movement. Repeat this process several times for maximum results.

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Walking -- it's the first thing we learn to do after crawling. Factor in the amount of it we've done over the course of our lives since then, and it's clear that we're more than warranted in considering ourselves experts. Professional, even. We are the walking gurus, and we have the extensive track record to prove it. With this being the case, why is it when it comes to walking as an exercise, so few people do it? Probably because we do it all the time anyway, therefore it does little to stimulate our interest.

We are an easily bored species, one that needs almost constant change in some way, shape or form. This is likely the reason why so many people prefer elaborate workouts to something as simple as placing one foot in front of the other for an extended period of time. To help remedy the situation, you may want to try some of the following Boredom Busters:

Tune-Up. One of the best ways to liven-up a workout is to listen to music. Whether it's the Rocky IV soundtrack to get you all fired up, some body-moving hip-hop, or even Classical favorites, music will help keep your feet moving.

Intervals. Walking is a low-intensity cardio workout, but it doesn't always have to be. To burn extra calories, and to mix things up a bit over the course of your stroll, try picking up the pace for a minute or so every now and again. By doing so, you can burn an extra 100 calories or so over the course of a 30-minute workout.

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I'm a walker. I walk anywhere I can in a reasonable amount of time -- the store, the bank, downtown to meet my friends for lunch. I walk for a few reasons -- because I love the outdoors, because I love the feeling of being active but not in pain, because I love the city scenery and because I love having time alone with my thoughts. During some stressful and upsetting times in my life, walking has helped calm me, and helped me come to terms with what was going on in my life. If walking was the only exercise I had to do for the rest of my life, I would be fine with that. Now, if I could only located to a city where I could walk comfortably year-round ...

Here's the thing about walking -- while it seems like walking is routine and not really 'exercise', it can be. A walking program can help you lose weight and get fit. It's a cheap, easy and convenient way to get in your workouts from anywhere. All you need are some good shoes and some water.

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In order to be really honestly "fit," your heart and your cardiovascular system have to be ready for anything. You might notice that if you workout exactly the same way every day, and then you suddenly try something new, you might suddenly feel really out of shape when you didn't before. But throwing sudden bursts of intense exercise into an otherwise "routine" routine can really improve your heart's ability to respond to sudden demands, which will improve your overall fitness and get you to the results you're looking for that much faster.

And did you know (this seems like an outrageously high percentage!) that high intensity interval exercise like this can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 100% compared to those who only work on endurance? Wow.

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Which are you when it comes to exercising, the tortoise or the hare? When it comes to slow and steady vs fast and furious there are arguments pointing to both ways as the "best" way, but a recent article in The New York Times suggests that it's really a blend of the two that has the most health benefits for most people. And no, a mix of slow and fast in this case does not equal "medium," it means intervals.

Interval training is not new by a long shot, but there is new interest in it due to research continuing to confirm and solidify just how great it is for cardiovascular health and fat burning. Both slow workouts and faster workouts offer similar health benefits such as weight loss, lowered risk for diabetes, and improved cardiovascular health. But it looks like interval training takes these benefits and multiplies them for the positive. Throwing some peaks and valleys into your exercise routine can up your calorie burning and speed up your fitness goals. In addition, benefits seemed similar for people regardless of their physical shape when they started the training. Both low activity/sedentary adults and young fit athletes showed similar levels of improvement in a little as a few weeks.

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