FitSugar has a simple and effective tip to share: Really push yourself for five minutes of your workout.

My favorite exercise is a cardio DVD that I follow in my living room. Without realizing I was doing it, I often follow FitSugar's tip. I use the weights for a while longer than the instructor, I pump up the intensity, or add some of my own moves to make the workout just a bit more challenging.

Whatever your workout of choice is, try adding five minutes of high intensity activity. Push yourself and let your body get a little winded. Unless you have asthma or another condition that contraindicates you for this type of high-intensity exercise, the change in pace will be good for your workout.

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Running short on time? Try your best not to let a full schedule interfere with your workout. You should schedule your exercise time and give it high priority on your to-do list. Don't look at your workout as something you can take or leave at your convenience. The fact is that staying fit and healthy will help you manage the rest of your chores more effectively -- you'll have more energy to be on the go, go, go.

But we all have those days where we just can't squeeze in a long workout routine. When there's just no way a real workout will work, try a quick 15-minute routine. AOL Health has a great 15-minute strength training routine. Or, if you'd rather, you can design your own workout.

• 10 minutes of cardio. Pick a convenient cardio activity that you can do almost anywhere and with minimal equipment. Walking, running, and jumping rope are all good options.
  

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Ever considered placing yourself in a time-out? I have. When my kids are driving me crazy, or my responsibilities are mounting, or I just need a bit of silence, a time-out seems quite heavenly. And if I follow the proper time-out protocol of sitting quietly for one minute per each year of age, I'd get a whole 37 minutes all to myself. Not bad.

OK, so maybe a mommy time-out is not likely to happen. A food time-out might be in my future, though, especially now with holiday eating in full force.

Nutrition experts recommend we all take food time-outs during our meals. They suggest taking 20 minutes between courses -- the amount of time it takes for fullness signals to travel from your stomach to your brain. Stop, think, and listen to your body's natural hunger cues, and you'll take control of your appetite and avoid overeating too.

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Dealing with the symptoms of diabetes, along with treating the disease itself, can be an exhausting challenge. Those of you out there currently dealing with diabetes might be interested in this piece, which says that as little as 20 minutes a day of exercise can help raise energy levels, as well as deal with a number of the side-effects that come with the condition.

According to the information in the piece, daily physical activity can also increase whole-body insulin levels, lower A1C (blood glucose test) levels, and decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Not bad for a short, brisk walk arond the block! And of course, any kind of regular activity is good for your body and mind as a whole, so if you're dealing with diabetes, finding time for a bit of exercise has numerous benefits.

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It's lovely out where I live today and to celebrate I've taken the afternoon off to enjoy the heat, but stay cool on a float with friends. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is putting on my bathing suit. I know that there is flab in places where I don't want flab, and it's only going to look more pronounced in a bikini top. Despite all the talk, I am guilty of waiting too long to tone up.

Since there's still loads of hot weather to come (at least I hope), I know that it's not too late to improve on the paunch at least a little before the last float of the season. I was pretty excited to come across this piece with exercises to tone your abs, arms and legs in a mere 20 minutes a day. I'm working two jobs right now, so it's tough to find time to fit in a really long work-out.

If you've found yourself in the same situation and are still determined to get into better shape sooner rather than later, give the work out a try. The exercises are fairly easy to do and require very little equipment, so it's not going to cost a fortune. Most importantly, the article reminds us all that the best way to get the most out of the work-out is to remember the basics like stretching beforehand, breathing throughout, having good posture and cooling down afterward.

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