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5 classic exercises for hurried holidays

Quick and easy fitness moves you can squeeze into your busy schedule.

By Vickie Reichardt

Let's face it. Time is at a premium during the holiday season, so a lengthy workout might be next to impossible at this time of year. But if you yearn to burn some extra calories and work off a holiday cookie or two in 10 minutes or less, personal trainer Rona Carr of GoodLife Fitness offers this quintet of speedy exercises to get you moving.

Click here to view larger images of the exercises.

1. The Lunge This classic exercise falls into the "oldie but goodie" category and helps to tone your legs and glutes.
	• To start, stand straight with your legs positioned shoulder-width apart. • Take a long but comfortable step forward with your left foot, raising your right heel off the floor so that your right foot rests on its toes. • With your shoulders back and your chin up, slowly bend your left knee as your right knee drops toward the floor and your body lowers straight down. Continue your descent until your right knee almost touches the floor. Ensure that your left knee doesn't go forward farther than your toes. • Return to start position and alternate legs. Rona recommends: Eight to 12 reps. To increase your level of difficulty, you can lunge and walk forward with each repetition.
2. The Bridge Often used in yoga, this easy exercise helps to work your abdominal muscles.
	• To start, lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat against the floor and are about shoulder-width apart. • Slowly raise your buttocks off the floor as far as you comfortably can. Squeeze your butt and hold the squeeze for two seconds. • Slowly lower your pelvis until your buttocks are almost touching the floor, and then repeat. Rona recommends: Perform this exercise as many times as you're able. To increase the level of difficulty, place a weight or a bag of sugar on your abdomen.
3. The Push-Up Another familiar (and slightly more demanding) exercise, push-ups work the muscles in your chest and upper arms.
	• To start, get down on the floor on your hands and knees. Cross your ankles and position your hands (palms down) under your shoulders. Lower your pelvis so that your spine remains straight. • Bend your elbows and slowly lower your torso toward the floor. Without touching the floor, hold your body for two seconds, and then slowly raise yourself back up by straightening your arms and returning to the start position. Rona recommends: Push-ups are difficult for many women, so do as many as you can. To increase the level of difficulty, keep legs straight and do the push-up while resting on your hands and toes.
4. The Dip Tone your upper arms with this easy exercise.
	• To start, find a sturdy chair and sit on the edge of it, with your hands resting alongside your hips. Stretch your legs straight out in front of you, with the heels of your feet resting on the floor. • Straighten your arms and push yourself up off the edge of the chair then, with your back straight, slowly bend your elbows to lower yourself as far as is comfortable. Keep elbows close to the body. • Straighten your arms and return to the start position. Rona recommends: This is another exercise that can be performed as many times as you're able. For a less-demanding workout, perform the exercise while sitting on the floor, with your legs stretched out in front of you.
5. The Broomstick Twist It's not a dance, but it could be! This exercise is great for your abs and obliques.
	• To start, grab a broom or a long stick. Stand with your feet placed shoulder-width apart and hold the broomstick behind your neck, laid horizontally across both shoulders as if you could carry a bucket of water at each end. • Keeping your hips stationary by contracting your glutes, slowly rotate your upper body from side to side. Rona recommends: Twist until you can't twist anymore; that is, do as many reps as you can. You can also do this exercise while seated. You can do all of these exercises just about anywhere and each one doubles as a speedy calorie-burner and a muscle-toner. So, no matter how busy you are this season, make time for these moves and you'll have super-simple ways to take a few minutes for you.