Many people don’t workout because they feel like they don’t have enough time or because they can’t afford a gym membership, but there are plenty of exercises you can do at home for an efficient workout that doesn’t just include running. After I had our son, I was determined to get back in shape (quickly). I found and came up with lots of home cardio workouts that I could do during his naptimes that didn’t take long (just in case he woke up) and didn’t require much equipment. Many times my short home workouts were better than spending an hour at the gym. If I knew I only had a certain amount of time to exercise, I pushed myself harder so I could get the most out of my workout.

One of my favorite websites that I used religiously for quick home workouts was . They go through the whole workout so you can perform it at the same time. Most of the routines are between 12-25 minutes and use high intensity interval training with little equipment. Interval training is a great way to improve your endurance, whether at home or at the gym. I like to include short bouts of timed high intensity exercises into my regular workout routines to push myself to perform a few extra reps. It also incorporates cardio into your workout without having to spend countless hours on a treadmill or elliptical.

I did this workout a few weeks ago when I was short on time and couldn’t leave the house. It took me about 30 minutes to complete and worked up a pretty good sweat. I changed up the ab exercises on a few rounds so I wouldn’t get bored. You can perform this at the gym as well and add a few upper and lower body exercises if you have time, to round it all out. Try to rest as little as possible between exercises to keep your heart rate up. It’s a short workout so give it all of your effort.

Warm up: 3 Rounds

• 20 High knees
• 10 Push ups
• 10 Squats

Main Set: 4 Rounds

• 10 Burpees with lateral jump
• 20 Mountain climbers (10 per leg)
• 10 Burpees
• 20 Jump Lunges
• 10 Decline push ups
• 20 Oblique lifts with DB or MB (10 ea side)
• 20 Bicycle abs