Squeeze it in: finding time for a workout within the workday.

• Author: Stum, Jamie Huish
• Position: Executive Living

Let's face it, today's businesspeople are busy. Balancing responsibilities with work, family and a plunging economy can leave very little time for executives to take care of themselves, especially when it comes to their health. Recognizing that the closest thing many businesspeople see to exercise is a brisk pace between budget discussions and board meetings, personal trainers have perfected work outs that can be done on a lunch hour or even a short break.

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"A businessperson is going to take a lot less sick days if they work out; they will have focus and energy," says Kelly McPherson, owner of personal training company One For Fitness. "And if they do it during a break or on their lunch hour, they won't have to worry about fitting it in when they get home."

Exercise, even a quick bout during a break, can also reduce stress and add to a person's confidence, says Greg Fedderson, a personal trainer with The Treehouse Athletic Club in Draper.

To squeeze in an effective workout during a workday, the objective should be high intensity in short bursts, says McPherson. This gives a higher calorie burn and a better workout in the same amount of time. "Focus on total body movements," she says. "You shouldn't just be doing a leg extension or a bicep curl; every exercise should involve multiple muscle groups. Think hard and fast."

A full body workout can be achieved in as little as 20 to 30 minutes with compound movements. Adding some cardio, such as jumping rope, is even more effective, McPherson says.

A few pieces of equipment can be kept in an office or cubicle to make such results possible, experts say. Their top pick: the resistance band. "A resistance band can do almost everything the dumbbell can and it's highly portable, it's effective and it's inexpensive," says Fedderson. He recommends starting with a yellow colored band, which offers the lowest level of resistance, then moving on to a green and finally a heavy-tension red band.

Two of the most productive exercises with a resistance band are the lunge and the squat, which both work a variety of muscles as well as the hip and knee joint, says Fedderson. These are especially effective with a doorway attachment for the band.

A lunge is executed by putting one foot forward and placing the resistance band underneath that foot, holding the handles with both hands. With the torso tight, bend the opposite leg until the knee is about two inches off the ground, then return to...