Smart Solutions to Your Top Fitness Questions

What's the Best Quick Workout?

"I have only half an hour to exercise. Help me make the most of my time!"

Smart Solution: Cardio/strength circuits are just what you need. "The more vigorously you work, the more calories you'll burn," says fitness expert Neal Pire, president of Inspire Training Systems in Ridgewood, New Jersey. "To save yourself from getting too tired too fast, push yourself aerobically -- you should be able to speak only a few words at a time -- then immediately do a strength segment."

Try: Walking at a brisk pace for one minute, then doing a total-body exercise, such as a lunge with biceps curls, for one minute. "To ramp up your results even more, switch out the walking for plyometrics and other high-intensity moves," Pire says. Do one minute of jumping jacks, high knees, skipping or butt kicks, then follow with another total-body move, like a squat with shoulder press or a lateral crawl in push-up position. "The key is mixing it up each time," he adds. Pick five total-body moves and do the entire cardio/strength circuit three times, or do two minutes of cardio/one minute of strength one day, then one minute of cardio/two minutes of strength the next.