Trainer: Lisa Payne

Tip: Payne believes in taking little breaks throughout the workday — but not for scanning celebrity gossip sites or grabbing Cheetos from the corner shop. Instead, “grab a fifteen-minute activity break four times a day, and there’s your hour,” she says. “Just like a little taste off someone plate still has calories, little bursts of exercise add up to burn calories.”

And speaking of those 7-Eleven snack runs: best start weaning yourself off of them. “During the dark winter months our energy sometimes dips, and we end up reaching for temporary substitutes in sugary or carb-loaded foods,” says Payne. “Skip the empty calories by cleaning out all the junk food in your kitchen and replace them with fruits, veggies, and whole grains. If you’re eating healthier, your energy will stay up long enough to get to the gym and pump out an even more energy-rich workout.”

Takeaway: Make every minute count — in your workout, and in your day.

Lisa Payne trains at the Symmetry Center, 401 West Ontario Street (at Orleans Street); 312-944-4961.


Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Payne