Exercises for Busy Moms to Lose Those Extra Baby Pounds

Having a baby changes your whole life. Your priorities change, your schedule changes and you often find that you don't enough time in the day to workout. There are some simple exercises to lose baby weight that you can fit into your busy schedule.

  1. Dance

    • Dancing is more than just a fun weekend activity; it is also a great aerobic and strength-training exercise. Find times to dance around the house throughout the day. Dance while you are holding your baby, gently incorporating squats and other muscle-building moves. Dance while you are vacuuming, dusting and even while you are folding laundry. If you have older children, put on a musical cartoon or movie and dance around the living room with them. The extra movement will increase your heart rate and it'll wake you up during the times of the day when you start to feel sleepy.

    Walk

    • You don't have to run on a treadmill or workout on an elliptical to lose weight. Just by fitting in a 20-minute walk every day you will burn calories that will help you shed those post-baby pounds. It is healthy for your baby to get outside, as well. Put her in a stroller and wheel her around the neighborhood if the weather permits. If it's too cold for outdoor activities, take a few laps around the mall. The stroller will provide extra weight and resistance. If you get to the mall early enough, you can actually walk pretty fast without getting stuck behind slower walkers. Not only will you get to exercise, but you will also have a chance to run some errands and do some shopping, which will save you some time later.

    Mommy and Baby

    • Check your local gym for mommy-and-baby activities. They might have mommy and me tumbling and aerobics classes that will help both you and your baby advance. It is never too early for your baby to learn fitness, and certain classes will help them develop motor skills and muscles at a faster rate. If you don't have time to go to an organized aerobics class, try doing some activities at home. Watch a workout video together, teaching your baby to mimic some of your moves or bounce to the beat of the music. You can also practice Pilates or yoga with lowered lights and quiet music around the time of baby's nap, which might help lull him to sleep.