8 Cardio Workouts for the Busy Woman

I have appointments the whole day. I might injure myself. I have more important chores to take care of.

These are but a few of the reasons we give whenever the idea of exercising comes up in conversation.

Unfortunately, very few women see the real benefits that they can get from exercise -- it gives them more energy to accomplish more things and it keeps their organs functioning at their peak.

The good news is that there are workouts that even the busiest women can do! Below are some suggestions:

1-Not all types of cardio are structured routines.

If you really need to pass on your morning or afternoon workout schedule, make up for it by walking several blocks to a restaurant on your lunch hour or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you do these ''alternatives'' regularly, you'll find that they could add up to about three hours of cardio each week.

2-Before going to work, do an imaginary jump-rope routine in the comforts of your own bedroom.

Turn on your favorite music or watch the morning show while twirling your wrists as if they're grasping a real jumping rope. You can work up a sweat just by doing 10-15 minutes of this.

3- Make use of a good ol' exercise relic from the Flashdance era -- a mini-trampoline! Yep, this inexpensive contraption can substitute for a high-energy aerobic exercise without the risk of knee injury.

Also called a ''rebounder,'' it can easily be stored under your bed or in a closet when not in use.

4-March in place while watching TV, but make sure you do it continuously from one commercial segment to another (normally, that would take about 15 minutes).

To keep from getting bored, alternate two minutes of marching with thirty seconds of skipping. As you become more fit, you can lengthen the skipping intervals.

5- Do your treadmills or elliptical trainers while watching your favorite DVD movies or listening to an audio book.

6- If you're a frequent flier and flight schedules often get in the way of your exercise routine, make the airport your personal gym (don't be too embarrassed; people come and go at the airport and the staff would hardly remember that you're the exercise freak).

If you have some time before your flight or if it has been delayed, do some power-walking with your backpack and walk the length of the airport several times. You can even do some squats, lunges, and wall push-ups if you like.

7- Combine your cardio workout with something you love to do. If you're nuts about dancing, then take a ballroom dancing, hip-hop, or flamenco class.

8- Set power workouts instead of power lunches. Instead of meeting your friends over coffee and sandwiches, set an exercise date such as a brisk group stroll. In the winter, you can all go skating or sledding while you catch up on each other's lives.

Related : Save up to 40% on Our Bestselling Fitness Products