Tone Up in 20 Minutes: Walking and Strength Exercises

Total time: 20 minutes

Work off that extra winter layer: By adding a few key strength moves, you'll turn your walk into a circuit-training, flab-eliminating routine that also tones legs and arms. In a study from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA, exercisers who alternated between strength moves and cardio for 25 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks lost a whopping 4 percent of their body fat. "Circuit training is a great two-in-one workout," says Tracey Staehle, certified fitness trainer and creator of the Walking Strong DVDs. "You're raising your heart rate and burning calories — and you build muscle, which can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories throughout the day."

The strategy: You'll alternate between two minutes of walking and one minute of squats, lunges, or dips. To get the most from these moves, you need a long resistance band.

YOUR PLAN

2 minutes: warm-up

1 minute: squat with chest press

2 minutes: moderate walk

1 minute: rear lunge with biceps curl

2 minutes: moderate walk

1 minute: triceps dip with leg lift

2 minutes: moderate walk

1 minute: squat with chest press

2 minutes: moderate walk

1 minute: rear lunge with biceps curl

2 minutes: moderate walk

1 minute: triceps dip with leg lift

2 minutes: cooldown

Ready to start? Get the exercises!