5-minute workouts even the busiest women can do

When your boss wants overtime, your kids want “mommy” time and your partner wants private time, how’s a woman supposed to fit a workout in?

The truth is, some weeks are tough. When you feel like you can’t possibly fit in a drive to the gym, much less actually make time for a workout, the good news is you don’t have to. A five- or 10-minute blast of exercise can help clear your head and give you the energy you need to tackle everything else on your list. Focus on body weight, equipment-free routines, much like these custom-designed doozies. Trust us, they’ll make you sore.

Quick cardio blast

Get your blood pumpin’ with this fast cardio routine. Set a timer for ten 30-second intervals, then perform each of the following five exercises back-to-back, two times through.

Little jacks

This is the jumping jacks’ little, tougher brother. Keeping your knees bent and your core tight, crunch in slightly and tighten up your arms, chest and shoulders before performing jumping jacks as fast as you can. But instead of extending your arms and swinging them way up over your head, bend your elbows at 90-degree angles and only bring them up to roughly shoulder-height so you keep the movement tight and strong.

Up next: More five-minute workouts even the busiest women can do >>