Permission to Be Lazy Granted!

Grab a girlfriend

You don’t need to do much, but moving just a little bit will give you more wiggle room for splurges. It won’t be such a drag if you ask a friend to join you, says Geralyn Coopersmith, national director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute in New York City. And here’s the thing: It doesn’t have to be all exercise-y. Really. Cruising the mall counts, too!

Say om

One night back in your old childhood bedroom and you’re already anxious—not good news for your abs. “Stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise, which revs appetite and promotes fat storage around your middle,” Coopersmith says. Take the edge off with a mini meditation session: Close your eyes and focus on your breath for two minutes. 

Do a (just a little) lifting

Not up for a boot camp ass kicking? Blow it off! But if you can, squeeze in 15 minutes of weights twice a week. That’s enough to keep your muscles toned and your metabolism high—key to not gaining weight. We’ve got lots of great at-home options.

Burn off last night’s brews

In case you have one of those not-so-fun mornings after a really fun night (think pizza and beer), we’ve whipped up a quick cardio routine to undo the damage. You’ll up your fat burning and melt mega calories. It only takes 15 minutes, too: Warm up for 3 minutes, then go hard for 30 seconds; recover for 60; do eight times. Done. Was that really so bad?