That's Fit

Don't have the motivation for daily workouts or the time and money to hire a personal trainer? "Minimalist workouts" could be the answer.

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.
  

When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. But what do you do if you only have a week to squeeze into your thin jeans?

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! I'm 38 years old, and have been trying to lose about 40 pounds for what seems like 40 years! I watch what I eat and exercise a bunch, but can't seem to lose a pound. What am I doing wrong? Bill

A. Hello Mr. Bill, I'm so happy you wrote. You're not the only one out there who truly feels stuck at a weight you're not happy with. That feeling is both frustrating and rampant. Having said that, I believe I know what's preventing you from losing that weight. In my book, 80% of weight loss comes as a result of our consumption habits. You're probably just underestimating the amount of calories you're consuming.

Generally speaking, if I go to the gym, I try not to plan anything immediately afterward. Ideally, I like to go home for a shower and get ready in my own bathroom, or at the very least, I'll take a full shower at the gym and get ready there. Either way, it takes some time for me to go from hot, sweaty mess to looking hot (or at least not scary).

But then again, there are those times when you get out of work at 5:00, have plans to meet a friend around 6:00 or 6:30 for a bite to eat, and while your house is on the other side of town, your gym is between work and the restaurant. It would be a shame to miss out on a quick workout just because you don't have time to wash your hair and get all dolled up, right?

In that case, check out the suggestions below for overcoming common post-workout beauty complaints (courtesy of FitnessMagazine.com, with a few of my own suggestions added in for good measure).

Now that I'm fully adjusted to working from home, I'm getting tired of having to put together food for each meal of the day. When I worked in an office, I grabbed breakfast on the go, headed to the nearest salad bar for lunch and then really only had to worry about what to do for dinner. Yeah, my diet was less healthy than it is now, but it was convenient. Some days, I wish there was a pill I could take to make my hunger go away and save me having to leave train of thought to put together a meal. Do you have the same problem?

So I was interested when I read this article living on energy bars. Can one do it and still be healthy? More importantly, can energy bars keep one full and satisfied all day long? The answer? Probably not. The author, who ate only energy bars for a week, missed real food tremendously, was very hungry most of the time and started to smell funny. So I would avoid the energy bar diet if I were you.

Still, energy bars can be a good source of on-the-go nutrition if you need to. What do you think?

Years ago, I used to make myself feel better about eating a gallon of ice cream by saying, 'Well, I worked out for two hours today ... ' Thing is, that two hour workout was not what you'd call difficult. In fact, I probably barely even broke a sweat. Still, for me, quantity was better than quality, hence me padding a few extra pounds over the years.

I think you know where I'm going with this one. Working out longer only does you any good if you work hard. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time. It's important to make sure your workout is effective, and no surprise here -- the more effective your workout, the less time you actually have to do it.

Still, with all these super-quick workouts popping up, either at the gym or in DVD format, I have to wonder -- can you really only commit 20 to 30 minutes a day and see major results?

Exercise doesn't have to be expensive, you don't have to have a gym membership and all kinds of fancy equipment, gadgets, and outfits to get your heart pumping and get in shape. To prove it Women's Health has devised this prop-free workout that only requires you and about 10 sq feet of space to work with. It's all about using your own body weight to strengthen and tone muscles without getting bulky. It's just 6 moves that you should aim to do 2 or 3 days a week.

So now what's your excuse?

Recently, I wrote a post about "What Not to Wear's" resident make-up artist, Carmindy, and her tips on how to get great, glowing skin. The Californian beauty always looks fantastic without being overly made-up, so I thought it would be cool to check out her advice on how to get that naturally beautiful look.

Those of you out there who are also Carmindy fans, especially New York City-area residents and fashionistas who'll be in town for NYC Fashion Week, are in for a treat as the artist will appear at Byrant Park on Monday September 10th, as a part of the Word for Word Author Series.

Carmindy, who has penned a book called The 5-Minute Face: The Quick and Easy Makeup Guide for Every Woman, will appear at 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., and give away some of her best secrets and tricks of the trade including tips on how to enhance your best features and how to look great without spending hours primping. The author will also be available to sign copies of the book. If you love to look great and have fun with makeup, mark the event in your calendar.

Getting up early enough to cook a healthy breakfast full of protein and whole grains can be tough for those who have to get to work early or get their kids to school in a hurry. It's also tough for those of us who aren't natural early risers and are basically willing to skip any part of the morning that isn't an absolute necessity if it means a few extra hours of sleep.

Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day though, so it's not something that you can just skip. The trick is finding something that is fast, filling and healthy. Breakfast bars can be a great solution for those who need a quick meal on the go but unfortunately not all are created equal, and even those that sound healthy could mostly just be full of sugar and high in calories.

The next time you're shopping for a healthy cereal bar, be prepared to read the nutrition label and keep these tips listed on AOL Body in mind. Bars should contain at least 5 g of both protein and fiber, less than 15 g of sugar and at least 25% of your minimum daily requirement of calcium. As the article says, pair a healthy bar with a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts and a glass of soy or low- or no-fat milk and you'll enjoy many of the benefits of a full breakfast.

Quickie workouts that don't need any equipment are good for doing when you have a few spare minutes at the office, while on vacation, or during a hectic day at home when your regular routine just isn't going to happen. Click here for a series of moves that will energize you, rejuvenate you, and get your blood pumping all in just 12-15 minutes. Designed to exercise multiple body parts at the same time, it includes push ups, chair squats, ab crunches, close-stance wall push ups, and a move called the 'ab vacuum.' Performing one after the other and shooting for 20-25 reps of each should do the trick.

Like most people, I often find myself unable to find time to take a bathroom break, let alone cook a big dinner. But I also know that eating right is ultimately one of the most important things a person can do, and it's something you need to find time for. It's simply unacceptable to use a busy schedule as a reason to not pay proper attention to your health.

There are, however, a number of quick and healthy eating tips for people on the go, including purchasing pre-packed, pre-washed and pre-sliced fruits and veggies for a healthy, handy snack. Another good tip? Stock your freezer with frozen vegetables and add them into your quick meals to 'healthify' them in a pinch -- for example, add veggies to a can of marinara pasta sauce, add to whole wheat pasta and voila -- you have an easy and healthy dinner.

Here's what I do: whenever I have some time to spare, I make mass quantities of something healthy like veggie lasagna, and I freeze it for days when I know I won't have the time to eat right. What do you do?

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.