It's funny how the first thing to go when I'm strapped for time is my workout. I still manage to find time to meet the ladies for drinks, email, grab a coffee, chat on the phone, and read the news. I eschew the one activity that helps me destress, recharge, and feel great. Workouts, somehow, just don't make the cut.

Sometimes, I really don't have time for a workout. Long work hours, taking care of the kids, trying to maintain a social life, catching a flight-the reasons are plentiful why the hours can slip away with no exercise to speak of. Other times, it's just all in my head. I talk myself out of it, procrastinate until tomorrow, or put it next to last on my priority list, right before cleaning out the gutters.

Maybe fitting a workout into a busy schedule requires redefining what a "workout" means. Does it mean I have to drive to the gym, take an hour long class, shower and drive home? Cumulative time spent could be over two hours.

I decided to talk to four busy women who always manage to fit workouts into their hectic lives and schedules to find out what their secrets are. I learned that a workout doesn't have to be a two-hour ordeal. According to these ladies, a workout can be accomplished in as little as fifteen minutes. Here are their secrets.

1. Flexibility and Creativity : When Elaina was traveling for six months around the world with her boyfriend, she did not want to lose the endurance and strength she had worked so hard to achieve. Recognizing that she would not be able to go to the gym, she took the same exercises with her. She emphasized high intensity and exertion to maximize her short workouts and would start most days with a do-it-yourself workout that went something like this, no gym necessary:

Warm-up: slow jogging in place, five minutes

Ramp-up: Jumping jacks, butt-kicks, leg-kicks, ten minutes

Tone-up: Sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, squats, five minutes

Cool-down: Yoga moves, stretching, five minutes

2. Get Outside: Jeannie didn't always like to exercise. Once inactive and a smoker, when she got her dog, Delilah, she made time not only for her dog, but also for herself. "I had to wake up an extra half an hour every day to walk my dog. At first it was hard, but then I really started to enjoy the mornings, and began to get more excited about exercising." Now she brings her running shoes with her wherever she goes and tries to fit in short walks or runs when she can. "If you don't have a thirty minute chunk of time, break your workout up in to two fifteen minutes stints."

3. Make Dates: Fitting workouts in to a hectic schedule requires some scheduling. "In grad school, I was always busy. The best thing for me was to make workout dates with my girlfriends," notes Rebecca. "We started meeting two times a week for swim workouts. They became part of my normal schedule and I rarely skipped them. Even when it was cold or drizzly, I didn't want to let my friends down by not showing up."

4. Multi-task. T he most stressful days are the ones when we need workouts the most. When Alexa comes home from work and has a list of errands to do, she tries to integrate her workout into them. Instead of driving, she runs to the post office, bank, and grocery store. "Sure, I may look silly running up the street with a tube of toothpaste in one hand and a bag of pasta in the other, but at least I'm doing it."

Now I have no more excuses.

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