For those who can handle a harder workout, guidelines say that intense cardio workouts require only 20 minutes for 3 days each week. But even 20 minutes a day can be a challenge for many. One good thing to know is that these workouts can be broken up into 10 minute segments, as long as each one is intense – raising the heart beat and breaking a sweat.

Exercise can also be incorporated into a busy lifestyle by getting creative and doing some planning. For instance, setting a schedule and sticking to it can help most people meet the goal of exercising for 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Make exercise as routine as eating and sleeping.

Keep in mind that cardio exercise doesn’t necessarily require expensive equipment or a gym membership. Just going for a brisk walk or taking the stairs at work can help you reach your cardio goals.

Beyond these tips, remember that exercise needs to be fun. Make cardio workouts a social event if necessary, exercising with your family or friends at specific times each week. Doing this can help you enourage others, including your children, to live a healhier lifestyle. It can also increase social ties and provide stress relief in ways that solo exercise cannot, providing additional benefits to an already healthy activity.

No, I’m not talking about a miracle vitamin, a new energy drink, or a speedy new-fangled workout regimen; I’m talking about something you can do before bed that ensures you get a solid night’s sleep, which is an essential key to staying healthy. Not getting enough sleep can run you down and lower your immune system, allowing you to get sick more easily.

What can you do every night to ensure you have a restful whole night’s sleep? If you are feeling stressed, worried, or anxious, take a few minutes before you lie down and write down all your issues. By just taking a minute to get these concerns off your chest, you won’t lie in bed thinking about them, which can keep sleep at bay.

I can’t begin to tell you how helpful this habit is to get into. I’ve implemented it in my life, and I never lose a night’s sleep over worrying. I sit down before bed if my mind is racing with the million and one things I have to get done or other common problems that used to keep me up at night. After I get the last one down on paper, no matter how mundane or silly, I fall onto my bed and into a deep slumber because I have told myself I’m committed to worrying about them or solving them tomorrow and I don’t need to bother with them anymore tonight.