No Gym Required: At-Home Workout c/o Celebrity Fit Guru Jennifer Cohen

LA-based health and fitness expert Jennifer Cohen has been featured on the Today Show, and has contributed to Forbes and the Huffington Post, among others. Today, she shares her expertise with BGG - and teaches us why no budget for a gym membership is no excuse for skipping workouts.

BGG: Can you teach us a few at-home exercises to tone up our trouble spots, like the buns, belly, and legs?

Jennifer Cohen:

Buns: Bridge with Leg Pulse

Lie flat on your back with your arms at your side and knees bent at 90 degrees, and one leg lifted in the air. Now push your hips upward as high as you can while squeezing your glutes and hamstrings. With your foot flexed, pulse up and down. Try doing each side for 30 seconds, then repeat.

Keep reading for more tips!

Belly: Diet Makeover

Start by making over your diet. To reduce belly fat, you will want to cut out sugars and fill up on protein, vegetables, and whole grains. For a healthy snack, I will grab an Evolve, a 110-calorie protein drink with 20 vitamins and minerals as well as 12 grams of protein.

(We are giving away an Evolve gift pack, including drinks plus a yoga mat and tote. Enter here!)

Legs: Walking Lunges

Perform walking lunges down your hallway or from one side of the room and back a few times. Do this a couple minutes every other day and you're good to go!

Another good one is a side step to leg lift on an elevated sturdy surface, like a stair. All you do is side step and then lift your leg to the side as high as you can, hold for 2 seconds, and repeat 20 times. Switch sides and repeat.

BGG: Between commuting and busy schedules, it’s hard to fit in long workouts during the week. How can we get a quality workout in a 15- or 30-minute window?

JC: HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a workout method where you exercise within 85 percent of your target heart rate for short periods at a time. It is one of the most time-efficient ways of working out.

I would do something like a burpee, which is a full-body movement that incorporates strength and cardio. I’d do that for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on my fitness level. Take a break and go into a next move and make them all high-intensity with very little rest time to maximize efforts.

BGG: We’re operating on a very small budget over here! If you had to recommend just one inexpensive fitness tool, what would it be?

JC: You don’t need to spend a dime to perform my favorite exercise move, the burpee. It’s the most effective single exercise, because it incorporates so many muscle groups at once. You’re working your legs, core, chest, and jacking up your heart rate.

BGG: Do you have any words of advice for women looking to start a new fitness program? It can be hard to stay motivated!

JC: Set a routine and think about working out as you would any other meeting or task that you have to do during the day. It becomes a habit.

For more health tips, workout ideas and 'fitspiration,' check out Jennifer's website or follow her on Facebook.