If you have a busy life, and most people do, you know that it can be hard to find time to exercise. The demands of children, work, or school can keep you from sticking to your goal to burn fat.

An alternative many people turn to is short workouts. Do three or four ten minute workouts produce the same effects as one long one?

You often hear that it takes the body about twenty minutes to start burning serious calories and fat, so wouldn't that make shorter workouts ineffective? What is the best way to burn fat on a tight schedule?

According to the American Heart Association, you can receive the same benefit from several shorter workouts as you do from one long one. This is true if they add up to the same amount of time.

Four ten minute workouts will provide your body with the same benefit as one forty minute one. And, the AHA says, intense exercise works much better than slower paced workouts.

Moderate exercise won't cut it for your short workouts. You need to make them challenging. Try the following tips to get the most from your mini workouts.

1. Run like the wind.

For ten minutes, run faster than you normally do. Walkers, walk more briskly. Make sure to get your heart going.

2. Attack a gym machine.

While going to the gym four times a day doesn't make much sense, if you are there anyway, chose a machine and go full throttle for ten minutes.

3. Hills and stairs are made for climbing.

Sprint up a hill or staircase. Walk down more slowly. At the bottom, sprint up again. Repeat for ten minutes.

4. Try some jumping jacks.

5. Try jumping rope.

Basically, anything that is intense and hard work for your body can make a good ten minute workout. And don't forget your strength training!

Your body needs a variety of activities in order to burn fat. Warm up for a few minutes with light cardio, and try the following moves:

* Squats: these are the moves to get the most out of your workout. They are very effective.

* Lunges

* Deadlifts

* Tricep dips

* Squats. Squats are one of the most effective moves to tone your lower body.

You can do sets of each or combine them to create compound moves. These work more muscle at the same time. Examples of compound moves are: squats combined with overhead presses, lunges paired with chest presses, and knee lifts with tricep kickbacks.

Just because your workout is condensed, don't neglect the warm-up and cool-downs. Walking briskly to warm up, and walking at a more moderate pace to cool down is sufficient. You can also do some stretching moves to release tension in your muscles.

Exercise only works if you do it. Fitting in four or so ten minute workouts a day is effective. You will get in shape, burn fat, and have time to spare!

It is also easier to stick with a program that allows such flexibility. Knowing you can do ten minutes and have it ?count? is very motivating.

Doing a forty minute workout can be a hardship when you have a busy schedule. But ten minutes is manageable for everyone.