If you only have a short window to spare for a morning workout, try this challenging 20-minute treadmill routine.  Beyond switching up the speed every two minutes, you'll also be changing the incline, which challenges the body to work even harder.  Even after this short cardio session, you'll feel light, energised, and ready to power through the rest of your day.

I have a confession to make.  Sometimes, I use the fact that I'll have to shower after as an excuse to not work out.  It's a legitimate problem though — and I know I'm not alone.  Don't act like you haven't done the same before.  Sometimes I'm just having a good ass hairday and can't jack it up with a workout.  (Priorities, right?)

So, the solution?  Squeeze in a workout right before hopping in the shower.  Genius.  All the moves can be done within a small space and only take five minutes.  Yes, FIVE minutes!

There ya go.  No more the "but I'll have to shower" excuse.  And if that's never been an issue for you — consider this a quick workout for when you're in a pinch!

I don't really want to share half-naked selfies of myself with the world, but I feel compelled to.  Because after years and years of working out four to six days a week, running and training for half-marathons, sweating it out in yoga classes, and eating healthy, I have finally caught a glimpse of the kind of transformation I have been wanting ever since I can remember.  And it's only been one month.

Before

This might sound like a PSA, but so what?  I really do owe it all to CrossFit.  I had been wanting to try it for years but through two pregnancies, working, and taking care of my two young kiddos, I just felt like I couldn't carve out the time.  It was kind of a lame excuse, actually, and I realised it was high time to make the time and do something for me.  So on Mother's Day 2016, I bought myself a $250 On-Ramp course for CrossFit.  No it's not culty, yes the workouts are frickin' hard, and yes, the community support really is amazing and was the key to my success.

After completing that course, I decided to go all in and committed to going for one month, five days a week.  Here's what happened.

1. Weight down:  I have been the same weight for years, trying to lose those last pesky pounds that hide my muscles and make me look softer than I'd like.  I was amazed when I stepped on the scale and realised I was at the weight that I lied about on my driver's license.  Down 2.2kgs!  I mean, that's huge when you don't have a tonne of weight to lose.  CrossFit smacked my weight-loss plateau in the face!

2. Less to pinch:  OK, so the scale isn't everything.  I also lost at least 2.5cms around my waist.  It's not an enormous change, but I can totally tell in the photos because it's the first area of my body my eyes move to whenever I look in the mirror.  I have had a belly my entire life it seems, and I can finally see it slimming down and that little muffin top diminishing.  I even noticed a little definition in my obliques!

3. Arm definition:  While brushing my teeth a couple weeks in, I happily noticed my biceps bulging but didn't think anything of it until the month was up and people commented on my arms.  "What have you been doing?" they asked.  Someone else said when they hugged me, my arms felt stronger.  Even the Comcast guy who came to fix my cable commented on my "guns".  I also noticed more definition in my upper back.

    

   After

   

4. Toned thighs:  I've always had lean legs, thanks to running and inherited genes from my mum, but they look even more toned and defined.  I slipped on a pair of leggings and loved that I could seen my quad muscles popping out a little.  Thank you lunges and deadlifts!

5. Perkier butt:  I also inherited a flat butt from my mum, but a month full of squats, wall balls, and kettlebell swings have turned my flat rear into a more shapely, rounder, lifted bum.  My husband has noticed, too.  Bonus!

6. More energy:  I used to run for an hour in the morning from 6 to 7 a.m., and by late morning/early afternoon, I felt completely drained.  My body felt exhausted, my brain felt foggy, and all I wanted was a nap.  I craved sugar and chocolate because I thought it'd give me a pick-me-up.  Of course, that backfired with an inevitable sugar crash, plus the extra calories didn't help me lose weight.  I didn't feel tired once during this month-long CrossFit experiment.  Even after getting up at 4:50 to make my 5:45 a.m. classes, I still had more physical and mental energy.

7. Less hunger:  Now this surprised me.  I thought all that intense cardio and heavy lifting would leave me insatiably famished.  But I felt way less hungry than I did after those hour-long runs.  I never ate before those early a.m. classes for fear or puking, and by the time I got home, showered, and started working, I wasn't hungry until 9 or 10.  I was also inspired to eat better because I was putting in all this time and energy, and I didn't want to undo all that by devouring half a box of Corn Thins dipped in peanut butter.

8. Varicose veins diminished:  I thought the bulging blue varicose vein behind my left knee was the oh-so-special badge of honour I shared with mums everywhere.  But after four weeks of CrossFit, I swear, it's hardly noticeable.  The increased blood flow from all that heart-pumping cardio works magic!  I feel way more confident in short shorts and skirts now.
   
   

9. Stronger overall:  Carry three bags of groceries on each arm from the car to the house?  No problem!  Lifting heavier weights for just one month made me stronger and more capable of handling life's challenges.  When both kids' heads accidentally collided when reaching for the same flower, CrossFit mummy power came to the rescue and I could bend down and lift 36kgs worth of kid without my knees giving out with energy left to kiss both boo-boos!  Running feels easier, previously difficult yoga poses like One-Legged Crow are doable, and come Winter, I'm excited to see how CrossFit-strong legs tackle the ski slopes.

10. Confidence:  It wears on you when you spend years thinking about your weight while working hard to change your body and not seeing the results you're after.  Making a change that actually worked was life changing.  I feel more confident and am just overall happier.  I also realised that I like pushing myself and since CrossFit encourages you to to get stronger every day, I'm embracing this feeling of pride, and it's inspiring me to keep pushing myself.  I see now why people become hooked on WODs.  It only took one month, but I'm addicted now, too.  I can't wait to see how my body changes in the months to come.

Ready for another workout challenge? This one is all about strengthening and slimming your entire midsection to help diminish belly fat and love handles.  All it takes is less than 10 minutes a day for the next 30 days and you'll notice a difference in how your clothes fit.  It's not just about basic crunches! Oh no! This challenge involves six different ab-tastic moves to target every angle of your core from the front to the sides to the back.

Here's the 30-day plan below and do adjust as needed according to your ability level.  Each day involves three sets of the six above exercises.  The third set will be tough — hey, it's a challenge, right! — so be sure to focus on doing the moves correctly, not quickly.  This plan also incorporates rest days, so while you can hold off on ab exercises, you can (and should) still do other workouts to strengthen the rest of your body.  Also, it's not advised to skip right to day 14 (if you want to be able to laugh the next day without rolling over in pain), so follow the plan and adjust it as needed according to your schedule and ability level.

Keep reading to learn more details about each of these exercises.  And good luck!

Seated Russian Twist

• Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot and a half from your butt.
• Lean slightly back without rounding your spine at all.
• Place your hands behind your head with elbows wide.
• Pull your navel to your spine, and twist slowly to the right.  The movement is not large and comes from the ribs rotating.  Inhale through your center, and rotate to the left.  Come back to center.
• This completes one rep.

Basic Crunch

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet about 12 inches from your butt.  Put your hands behind your ears.
• Focusing on your core muscles, lift your head and shoulders and raise up until your head, shoulders, and back are off the floor.  Keep your belly button pulled in.
• Lower back down to complete one rep.

Side Elbow Plank Twist

• Start in side elbow plank on your left side, with your feet stacked one on top of the other.  Keep your weight on your left elbow with your fingers reaching away from your body.
• Place your right arm behind your head, and inhale to prepare.
• Exhale, pulling your navel in toward your spine, engaging your deep abs.  Rotate your right rib cage toward the floor, bringing your right elbow to your left hand.
• Return to the starting position to complete one rep.  Do the designated number of reps on this side, then repeat on the left.

Superman Lift

• Lie face down on your stomach with arms and legs extended.  Keep your neck in a neutral position.
• Keeping your arms and legs straight (but not locked) and torso stationary, simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling to form an elongated "u" shape with your body — back arches and arms and legs lift several inches off the floor.
• Hold for two to five seconds, and lower back down to complete one rep.

Plank Jacks

• Begin in plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists, your body in one straight line, and your feet together.
• Like the motion of a jumping jack, jump your legs wide and then back together.  Jump as quickly as you want, but keep your pelvis steady and don't let your booty rise toward the ceiling.
• This counts as one rep.

Overhead Side Bend

• Stand with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart, holding your pressed palms overhead.  Squeeze your head with your upper arms to fire up your core and protect your neck.
• Bend sideways to the right, squeezing your waist on the right side.  Keep your neck as neutral as possible, looking forward, not down.
• Pull the left ribs down to return to standing upright.  This focuses the work on the left obliques.  Switch sides, and bend to the left.  Rise back up to center to complete one rep.

Think treadmill workouts are too boring to endure?  Intervals are the antidote!  Playing around with speed, timing, and rest periods keeps both the mind and body busy.  Interval training is also one of the best ways to beat belly bulge, so torch some serious calories with this 45-minute treadmill workout.

Set the incline to one percent to prevent shin splints.  As with all our workouts, feel free to increase or decrease speed depending on your level of fitness.  But doing so will alter the amount of calories you burn.

If this workout doesn't appeal to you, here are a bunch of other treadmill workouts to try.