The easiest way to flatten your belly is to strengthen your transversus abdominis-the invisible abdominal muscles that lie beneath your more visible, "6-pack" abs and flatten your waistline when you suck in your gut. Work them while you clean: As you pull the vacuum toward your body, also pull your belly button in towards your spine. Hold it for 10 seconds while breathing normally. Repeat five times.

Grab a basket instead of a cart at the grocery store and burn almost 15 extra calories an hour.

Between travel and dressing up in high heels, legs muscles are often tight around the holidays. Stretching daily will improve your flexibility as well as help you build strength. Target the back of your legs with this stretch: Lying on your back, extend your left leg and raise it until you feel a stretch. To protect your back and aid in keeping your hips from rolling, you can bend your right leg, keeping your right foot on the floor. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds. Switch legs.

Aim for 200 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as running, biking or swimming, a week: That’s the amount of time it takes to produce the greatest amount of fat loss. Sound daunting? It’s not. That breaks down to just under 30 minutes daily.

Researchers found that when exercisers listened to music they didn’t like, their blood vessels constricted 6 percent in just 30 minutes, reducing overall aerobic capacity by more than 10%. However, moving to the beat of enjoyable music expanded blood 26 percent, bringing in a 34 percent performance boost.