From the minute my eyelids lift each morning, I'm scrambling: the kids are demanding breakfast, the dogs need to be let out and preferably walked, a load of laundry needs to be moved from the washer to the dryer (keeping on top of the laundry is a 24/7, 365 day a year endeavor: no holidays in the world of laundry management), and it would be nice to get a shower in at some point. As the day progresses it rarely gets better: dashing from one commitment to the next. Inevitably I'll be late picking up a child when I realise I forgot to go by the market to get something for dinner-again. Sound familiar?

Achieving the work/family/sanity balance is tricky at best. And the idea being able to commit to devoting an hour each day strictly for exercise would be nothing short of miraculous. But, admittedly most of us could probably squeeze in a 30-minute session most days of the week. So assume you have carved out this time for exercise, what to do? Run? Lift weights? Stretch?


Herein lies the dilemma, if one only has a short window of availability, what form of exercise is going to be the most beneficial? Harried women everywhere want to know: 'When it comes to exercise, what is our best bet?'

I decided to do some research. As usual, there is an overabundance of information out there, most with conflicting 'facts.' According to Jim Karas, author of The Cardio-Free Diet, "Cardiovascular exercise kills a weight-loss plan, your internal organs, your immune system, your time and your motivation. If your true goal is to lose weight, interval strength training is the only way to go."

Sounds kind of strange doesn't it? Well, it is, most experts agree, Karas' claims lack substantial evidence or any type of scientific proof.

Another source, Jennifer Mieres, a cardiologist and an American Heart Association spokesperson says, "The evidence is overwhelming. You need to do some cardio workout to change your cardiac profile to make it better, to prevent death from heart disease and stroke."

Ok, that sounds reasonable, but what if your goal is not to strengthen your heart but to beef up your biceps? The reality is, before you can decide what activity ' cardio work or strength training or whatever ' would be the most beneficial, you have to determine your goals: weight loss, muscle building, flexibility, relaxation? How about all of the above?

If you are looking to burn a significant amount of calories in one setting then going for a run is a good choice. And if you want to tone and build muscle then lifting weights may be the course for you. But if you want to increase your overall health then you will have to combine your activities. Twenty to thirty minutes is not a long time, but there are ways to make it work. You can alternate strength and cardio days (being sure to include a few minutes of stretching each time). Another good alternative is Pilates which combines strength and stretching moves and if done properly can give you a full body workout in 20 minutes. Circuit training on Cybex or Nautilus machines where you move from one machine to the next with no rest in between works your muscles and elevates your heart rate is another good choice. With such a short window of time you'll have to be creative.

I realise time is precious. And in today's economy, time is definitely more valuable than money, so you'll need to use your workout time wisely doing both cardio and strength training. You'll need to think outside the box (and the gym) and just move whenever possible. Which brings me to next week's topic: Carving out time for cardio.