I have a mini success story! I haven’t been overweight since I was younger, but for a while, I was completely untoned. In my early twenties, I went to the gym for two hours at a time, and after I stopped that, I got very all-or-nothing about it (which, at various periods of my life, has meant nothing).

About six months ago, I decided to start doing a few simple exercises every day: 3 sets of squats, 3 sets of lunges, and at a minimum, 100 crunches. It never takes more than 15 minutes, but I’ve done it almost every day since.

I know I need to incorporate more cardio into my routine, and I’ve yet to make that a habit, but I’m thrilled that I’ve started strengthening my legs and stomach. On a vacation to Hawaii this December I not only felt more comfortable in a bikini than I have in a long time–I also did much better on a three-hour hike than I would have otherwise!

• This reply was modified 12 years, 10 months ago by Lori Deschene.