The 7-Minute Workout

Don't want to deal with hot or cold weather? Indoor games can get your competitive juices flowing, like basketball, racquetball, or volleyball. You can do many "outdoor sports" -- like swimming, soccer, and tennis -- indoors, too.

Whatever your interest or skill level, there's probably a sports league in your area that will work for you. You'll be less likely to skip out because your teammates will count on you for practice sessions and games. And the heat of competition could make you forget you're getting a workout.

It can be social, and it's lots of fun, even if you do it by yourself. It can tone your muscles and strengthen your heart and lungs. It also might lift your spirits. All you need is a bit of music to get your groove going.

You'll burn around 5 calories a minute, about as many as with a brisk walk. And you'll use about the same amount of oxygen as if you were raking leaves. Plus, research shows that it may help prevent heart disease, though that only seems to be true if you’re in a healthy relationship.

Want to get two things done at once? You'll get a "moderate" workout if you wash and wax your car, clean out the gutters, or mop or vacuum the floors. It'll help get you in better physical shape, and a clean car or house may boost your mental well-being, too.

Exercise makes the heart and cardiovascular system stronger. Your heart will become more efficient, pumping more blood per beat so at rest your heart rate will be lower. Even a few days after beginning exercise the body starts to adapt, and breathing is easier, your body feels less fatigue, and pain and soreness will diminish.

It's not necessary to spend an hour or more at the gym to get in your daily exercise. Short bursts of activity can be incorporated throughout the day. Take a walk on your lunch break, ride bikes with your kids, do jumping jacks for 10 minutes, or run up and down the stairs for five. Getting exercise in short chunks is just as effective as doing it all at once. A cumulative half-hour per day is all that is needed for health benefits, and a total of 60 minutes per day can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Exercise reduces stress, and can help ward off depression and anxiety. Regular exercise can reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.

Would you take a magic pill that could allow you to eat more, ease stress, and boost your brainpower? There is something that can do all that, and more: exercise.

Start in a standard push-up position. Begin a traditional push-up, but as you come back up, shift your weight onto your left side. Rotate your upper body and extend your right arm straight up toward the ceiling. Return to your starting position, then repeat with right side. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Stand with your feet together. Step forward on your right foot, dropping your pelvis down toward the floor (not forward), lowering yourself until both front and back knees are bent as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. Then push back with the front leg and return to your starting position. Switch legs. Repeat for 30 seconds. You can make this more challenging with reverse lunges, or make it easier by not lowering your body as deeply.

Lie on your stomach on an exercise mat, with your elbows close to your sides, palms down and fingers facing forward. Lift your torso and thighs off the floor, keeping your body straight. Rest your weight on your elbows and your feet, with toes tucked toward shins. Use your core muscles, and stay in this position for 30 seconds.

Stand facing a sturdy chair or bench. Step up onto the chair or bench with your left leg, coming all the way up to stand on it with both feet fully. Then step back down and come back up, starting with your right leg this time. Do as many as you can in 30 seconds. Get your heart pumping!

Get into a "plank" position on the floor or mat, feet together with toes tucked under, hands planted flat below your shoulders. Slowly bend your elbows and lower your body toward the floor, as far down as you can go keeping back and hips level. Then press back up and repeat for 30 seconds. You can make this easier by resting your weight on your knees instead of your feet. To boost intensity, try resting your feet on a low bench or step instead of the floor.

If you've ever promised yourself that you would get back in shape just as soon as you could find the time, then the 7-Minute Workout may be for you. It's a short, rapid-fire series of exercises that use your own body weight.