Get It Now: Maximum Energy

3 Quickie Energizers

Morning: Sun Salutation

• Stand with arms by sides, then raise hands overhead.
• Fold forward from hips and place hands on floor (bend knees if necessary).
• Step right foot back into a lunge.
• Step left foot back and raise hips up into an upside-down V.
• Step right foot up between hands in a lunge, then step left foot up to meet right.
• Stand up, lifting arms overhead. Repeat twice.

Midday: Energizing Breath

• Sit comfortably with back supported.
• Inhale fully, filling your lungs with air.
• Exhale forcefully through the nose with 10 short, staccato breaths, pulling abdominals in with each exhalation. Fully empty your lungs and repeat.

Evening: Calisthenic Circuit

• Get up off the couch during TV commercial breaks and do 30 seconds (about the length of one commercial) of each of the following exercises: jumping jacks, squats, push-ups, crunches.
• Do a set at each commercial break.

Originally published in Fitness magazine, September 2005.