Sometimes, your busy day just gets the best of you.

Errands take longer than expected, someone is teething and cranky, or the dog ate a quarter and needs to go to the vet. When all is said and done, you just don't have time to pack the kiddo(s) up and go to the gym.

Trust me---I get it. Things happen!

So, what do you do when this happens, but you know you reeeeeeally need to workout and relieve some of that stress? You MAKE time! Whether if it's during nap time, play time, or bedtime, you can bust out a quickie and feel amazing and accomplished! You don't even have to do all of your workout at the same time, either. Five minutes here and there can add up to a great workout!

Here are some of my fave exercises for those hectic days:

-Pushups: whether it's on the floor, modified (on your knees), or on an incline (such as the fireplace), these puppies will work your chest, shoulders, back, and core like no other exercise!

-Squats: pick up something heavy and squat! It can be a gallon of milk, a bag of potatoes, or hand weights (if you have them). Heck, I've even used my munchkin as a "weight" before, and she thought it was hilarious! Tighten your core, sit back on your heels, and really squeeze that booty!

-Skater Lunges: set two paper plates (or something else that slides easily) on the floor, assume a lunge position, and alternate legs, really squeezing your glutes and quads to help you slide the plates across the floor. Just be careful--ain't nobody got time to go to no hospital!

-Plank Sliders: using those same paper plates under your feet, assume a plank position. Slide one leg out to the side, and then back in. Alternate legs, keeping your core tight and your back flat.

-Mountain Climbers: when you're done with the above planks, start sliding your feet (one at a time) in towards your chest. Quickly alternate your legs, almost like you're climbing a mountain. I bet you'll feel these in those lower abs!

-Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press: grab two cans, jugs of water, or something moderately heavy and do a bicep curl with them. Once you bring the weight up to your collar bone, rotate your wrists and then press the weights up over your head. Slowly lower them back down to your collar bone, rotate your wrists again, and straighten your arms all the way back out by your sides (keeping your elbows in).

*Try to perform 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions of each exercise, taking very little rest in between each set (less than 30 seconds).

There you have it, guys. A super quick workout that will get that heart rate up, muscles burning, and endorphins flowing!

Want a great, fat-blasting, cardio workout that you can do in just 30 minutes AND at home?? Well then, here you go!

This is one of my HIIT workouts that I have designed for you busy Hot Mamas on the go! What is HIIT, you ask? It stands for High Intensity Interval Training, and it basically consists of circuits of exercises that will jack your heart rate up quickly, with short rest periods in between. This has been shown to be more effective at torching fat than longer periods of steady-state cardio (such as the treadmill or elliptical). That's because you create an "oxygen debt", which allows your body to burn more calories. Here's a little explanation about what an oxygen debt is:

“When you exercise, your body uses oxygen to create energy. But when you reach a high intensity during exercise, your body’s need for oxygen exceeds your ability to breathe in that much oxygen and deliver it to the muscles. When this happens, your body goes into an ‘oxygen debt’. Once you go into oxygen debt, not only do your muscles begin to burn and you begin to breathe hard, but you also put your body into a state where it needs to ‘repay’ that oxygen debt after exercise...when you breathe more and breathe deeper, your body burns more calories. Depending on how hard you’ve worked, this oxygen repaying can help you burn anywhere from a few dozen to over a hundred extra calories each hour after you exercises, for up to 24 hours after you’re finished!”

— Ben Greenfield, www.quickanddirtytips.com

Did you get all that? Basically, the harder you work for that shorter period of time, the more calories you'll burn in the long run! If you're like me, anything that can get a workout done in a shorter period of time (AND burn more calories) is for me!

Now, are you ready to bust it?? Take out that stopwatch (or use the one on your phone), find a small open space, and let's get to work!

30 Minute HIIT

Designed By: Jayme Williams

Jump rope (you don't even have to own a jump rope!)* - 2 min

Rest - 30 seconds

Burpees with Pushup** - 2 min

Rest - 30 seconds

High Knees*** - 2 min

Rest - 30 seconds

Jump Squats**** - 2 min

Rest - 30 seconds

(Repeat entire circuit x 3 for a total of 30 minutes)

Explantation of Exercises:

*You can either use a jump rope (jumping at a moderate-fast pace), mimic the use of a jump rope with your hands while jumping (at a moderate-fast pace), OR run up and down stairs if you have those available and would rather do that.

**Starting in a standing position, quickly move into a pushup stance. Perform a pushup (whether on your toes or knees), and then hop back up to a standing position. From here, raise your arms and jump up into the air. That is one "burpee".

***Starting in a standing position, raise one bent knee as high as you can out in front of you, and then quickly switch to the other knee. Repeat this. It should look like you're running with an exaggerated elevation of your knees. It also helps to lean back just a little, tighten your core, and pump your arms with the movement.

****Starting in a standard squat position, squat down and touch the ground with your finger tips (or get as close as you can). Then tighten your butt and catapult yourself up out of the squat, raising your arms above your head to increase your height. Try to land on the balls of your feet to lessen the impact on your knees. This is one "jump squat".

Well, how was it?? Hopefully by now you're sweating bullets and feel fantastic! And look: your workout is DONE for the day! Score!

If you have any questions about today's free workout, please comment below or contact me! I'd love to hear from you!