BURN FAT, BUILD MUSCLE AND STILL HAVE TIME TO EAT A GOOD LUNCH

If you want to exercise more but are always wondering where the day goes, you may be surprised to learn that you can see big results by spending just a few minutes of your lunch break working out, says Selene Yeager, author of “Perfectly Fit: 8 Weeks to a Sleek and Sexy Body.” Studies show that people looking to improve their overall health don’t need to take an all-or-nothing approach to exercise.

For example, in a two-year study of more than 230 overweight, sedentary adults, researchers from the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas found that men and women who made simple lifestyle changes such as taking the stairs at the office or walking around the soccer field during their kids’ practice had similar gains in fitness, blood pressure and body fat as those who did vigorous gym workouts for 20 to 60 minutes, five days a week.

Mini-workouts deliver powerful results because you’re more likely to do them, says Yeager.

Here are three do-anywhere, 10-minute routines that burn calories and tone trouble spots. All you need is a pair of supportive walking shoes, a set of 5-pound dumbbells, a chair or low table, and a mat or soft, carpeted area.

Routine 1: 10-minute calorie-burn walk
Ease into your noontime walk with a one-minute stroll. Gradually pick up the pace over the next three minutes. Now, walk as fast as you can for one minute, then taper back down to a moderate tempo for 60 seconds. Alternate between these two tempos for the next three minutes. By the last minute you should be slowing down to your initial strolling pace.

Routine 2: Butt and thigh firmer
The following three moves strengthen and tone your legs. Warm up for 30 seconds by marching in place. Perform each exercise eight times on each leg, rest 20 seconds between each move, and then repeat the routine twice.

One-legged lunges. Place your left foot on a chair or table behind you so the left leg is extended and you’re balancing on the right leg. Bend your right knee, lowering into a lunge, front knee behind your toes. Press into your right foot and stand back up.

Monster squats. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out slightly, arms relaxed at your sides. Sit back into a squat, keeping knees behind toes. As you stand up, raise your left knee out to the side, placing your foot back on the floor as you lower into the next squat. Repeat with right leg.

Side-to-side shuffle. Sit back into a squat, arms bent in front of you, elbows by your sides. Shuffle 10 to 15 feet to the right, moving your right foot then your left foot. Return, shuffling to the left.

Routine 3: Arm sculptor
Get upper-arm definition with the following simple moves. Warm up for 30 seconds by marching in place and doing a breaststroke motion for 30 seconds. Do each move eight to 15 times with each arm. Rest 10 to 20 seconds between exercises. Repeat the routine twice.

Supported curls. Sit in a chair with your feet a few inches apart. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward at the hips and rest your elbows on your thighs, palms up. Bend your left elbow, curling the dumbbell toward your shoulder. Keep your upper arm still. Hold for a second, then lower and repeat with your right arm. Continue alternating arms.

Side plank push-ups. Start on your knees, hands beneath your shoulders, your body in line from your head to your knees. Bend your elbows out to the sides, lowering your chest almost to the floor. Straighten your arms, pushing back up, and then raise your left arm overhead, rolling your body to the right to form a side plank. Lower and repeat with the other side.

Mountain climbers. Get in a push-up position with your hands on the seat of a chair. Bring your right foot forward 10 to 12 inches, knee bent. Jump quickly, switching feet as if climbing a mountain.

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