The thirteen-minute workout: this may be the exercise program for you.

Most people who want to burn off excess pounds and tighten and tone their bodies simply don't have two hours a day to spend in the gym. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Many of the workouts that fitness experts recommend often consist of exercises and techniques that don't strengthen the body where it's needed most for everyday living. In my opinion, people whose main objective isn't body building should steer clear of those traditional-style regimens.

If your general fitness goals are increased strength, flexibility, and endurance, keep reading.

You can burn fat, increase flexibility, build strength and endurance, reshape your body, and reach a level of fitness that's truly "real-world" functional in as little as 13 minutes a day. The following is a workout that I perform personally. Be warned: This workout will not only surprise you; it may go against everything you ever thought to be true about how to get fit. Remember, it's a good idea to consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Are you ready? Let's go!

This progression of exercises should be performed during one 13-minute session with little or no rest between segments. At first, you may need to adjust the number of repetitions or overall time, depending upon your current fitness level. Start slowly, build carefully, and enjoy thoroughly. If, while exercising, you become so out of breath that you cannot speak clearly, take a break and let your body catch up. Then continue.

1. JUMPING JACKS--1 minute

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2. BODYWEIGHT SQUAT (hands on hips, feet apart shoulder-width; lower your body down and then back up while bending at the waist, keeping your knees positioned above your toes)--75-20 repetitions

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3. PUSH-UPS (balancing on knees or toes)--start with just a few reps, then work up as you build strength

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4. KICK BUTTS (jog in place and kick your rear with your heels)--1 minute

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5. HAMSTRING FLOOR BRIDGE (begin by lying on your back, knees bent, feet on floor; then use one leg to lift your body slightly off the floor as you hold the other leg up in the air)--75-20 reps

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6. SUPERMAN (lying on stomach with arms out to side, lift legs and chest slightly off the floor)--75-20 reps

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7. HIGH KNEES (jog in place lifting knees as high as possible)--7 minute

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8. STATIONARY LUNGE (standing with hands on hips or held out for balance, take a large step forward with right leg, then bend both knees and lower your body as if you're going to touch your left knee to the ground; then push back to standing position. Repeat with left leg)--75-20 reps

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9. TORSO ROTATIONS/TWISTS (arms on hips or held out, slowly turn your upper body as far as you can; then rotate in opposite direction)--20 reps each direction

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10. SIDE BENDS/REACHES (standing, put one hand straight up in the air and the other hand down by your side; then bend sideways as far as you can, tilting your high hand over your head like a tree bending in the breeze)--20 reps each direction

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11. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER (get down on your hands and knees, position one leg back straight with the other leg bent-like an Olympic runner at the start of a race. With both feet on floor and one knee positioned at your chest, hop up slightly and switch leg positions-like you're climbing a mountain)--7 minute

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12. WALL SIT (with your back to a wall, slide down the wall until your knees are at a 90-degree angle to the floor, and hold that position to a count of five; then straighten your body using your hands to push you away from the wall slightly)--5 reps

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13. DIPS (take two chairs and place them in front of you facing out to the sides. With one hand on the back of each chair for balance and support, lower your body up and down as far as you can. As an alternate, sit on a chair with your hands on each side of your buttocks, and lift yourself off the chair and back down again)--as many reps as you can do comfortably.

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Well, there you have it! Sounds easy, right? Maybe you're thinking: That couldn't possibly do anything I need! I personally challenge you to try it. Why not try it now? Drop what you're doing and give it a shot. If you find it a bit easy, which I doubt, perform the series two or three times through without taking a break.

This simple workout will deliver more usable fitness results and benefits than any traditional gym or health club regimen that I know of. Of course, you can implement this type of workout in a gym and make it even better, but the beauty of this is that you can do it anywhere--even while traveling.

There are many more exercises you can add or substitute. I actually recommend switching exercises every 2-4 weeks or, even better, putting together three or four different workout combinations and rotating them.

If you are not familiar with one of the exercises, just replace it with one you know works the same part of the body.

Enjoy your new found fitness!

Jesse Cannone, C.F.T., C.P.R.S., C.S.P.N., is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness eBook, Burn Fat FAST For more information, visit his Web site: www.guaranteed-weightloss.com.