Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The modern woman is always on the go. Lots of women are now working out of the home, as well as taking care of children (and probably taking care of a husband as well). So how in the world do you find time to get to the gym?

Well, girls (and guys of course), it’s time to get creative. Did you know that you can actually do a whole workout using your own body? You don’t have to use fancy equipment -- just use brain power.

For example, push-ups are great for the arms and chest and you can do them in many ways: on the toes, on the knees, up against a wall ... whatever works for you.

For the legs, you can do squats in many different ways. Do walking lunges or regular standing squats for quads, or scissor the legs keeping the back leg lifted on the couch or chair to reach the hamstrings and gluts.

Crunches, reverse crunches (lifting the lower part instead of the upper part of your body) and bicycles for the abs; standing front, side and rear straight leg lifts for the hips ... these are also great when you have nothing but your own body.

These things can be done anywhere, anytime, in five- or ten-minute increments. If you haven’t figured out a way to take five minutes to yourself per day, then you need to rework your schedule so that you can.

Even new mothers are finding cool ways to get a workout in. Walking your child in a stroller can be a workout in itself, but add to it by doing lunges as you walk. Take a two-minute break (while hanging on to the edge of the stroller for balance) and do a few sets of ten to fifteen heel raises for the calves. Drop down next to the stroller for push-ups. Don’t be embarrassed -- onlookers will admire your drive and creativity.

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