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"I gotta work out. I keep saying it all the time. I keep saying I gotta start working out. It's been about two months since I've worked out. And I just don't have the time. Which uh..is odd. Because I have the time to go out to dinner. And uh..and watch tv. And get a bone density test. And uh.. try to figure out what my phone number spells in words." Ellen DeGeneres

We're busy. That's nothing new. There is work, house-keeping, husband-keeping, children-keeping, and a billion other things that women do each day, that many women come to the end of the day wondering how they even make it through intact, let alone fit in some exercise. And yet, we did manage to go to a friend's house for a visit yesterday, the zoo with the kids last week, and the salon to get a manicure last Friday. Here are three things I think will enable even the busiest woman to fit in some time for fitness:

1. Make it a priority. We would never (or hardly ever) consider feeding our family pop tarts and ice cream for diner. No, we plan ahead what to make, go to the store, and prepare the meal. It is important to us that our family eats healthy and filling meals. In the same way, we need to plan ahead and make fitness a top priority. Stop using time as an excuse.

2. Make the Most of the Time. Don't assume that just because you can't go to the gym and work out for one to two hours a day you might as well throw in the towel. According to the AHA (American Heart Association), heart health is greatly benefited by doing 30 minutes of exercise a day, but this can be broken into 10- or 15-minute segments. So, the next time you're waiting for the water to boil or the sink to fill up with dishwater, do some exercise. Multitask as much as possible. Do you have a meeting with a coworker to discuss something? Why not talk as you both take a walk?

3. Sneak it in. Try doing things that you wouldn't normally think of as exercise and sneak some exercise in. While you're ironing, tighten your tummy. While you're sitting at your desk at work, do some glute exercises. Take a walk doing your lunch break. Sweep your living room with a bit more gusto than usual. All of these are ways to sneak in a little bit of exercise, which over time, will help you stay in shape.

Learn more about this author, Amorelle Garner.
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