Is your 30-minute workout always last on your to-do list? Here's help.

Whether you're constantly time-crunched or just exercise averse, it's possible to get many of the same health benefits without freeing up a full half hour. Research consistently shows that three 10-minute sessions are as effective in many ways -- including controlling cholesterol -- as a solid 30-minute workout. So even if you're stretched thin between work and home, you can still make fitness a top priority.

Not only will 30 minutes of daily exercise -- whether done all at once, or not -- help lower your triglycerides, but it also will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Slipping three 10-minute workouts into your hectic schedule just takes a bit of creativity: Park your car 10 minutes from your destination and walk the rest of the way -- back and forth and that's two sessions already. Add another walk during your lunch break or while returning cell phone calls and you're done. Although longer sessions of exercise are needed if you want to boost your aerobic fitness and burn fat, doing something is way better than doing nothing.