New mom: Finding time to exercise

Exercise has always been important to me. I know I'll be a much better mom, and wife, if I feel healthy.

Like all aspects of being a first-time parent, I knew finding time to workout would be difficult after having a baby, but I didn't realize how difficult.

Long stroller walks have kept me going. No matter how cold (or hot) it gets, we dress in warm layers or put on T-shirts and hats and sneak in a long stroll. Sometimes I will stop and do lunges, and occasionally we'll jog, but it's been 10 months now and I'm ready to do more.

Like other moms and dads, my problem is time. I work eight hours then care for my daughter from noon to 5:30 p.m. while my husband works. Then it's time to start thinking about dinner and bath, because I have an early bedtime too (hello, 3:30 a.m. alarm). Before I know it, the day is gone.

I'm trying to workout with my daughter before 5 p.m., but it isn't going well. Even with her toys all around, she wants more attention from me. If she'll sit in her play gym I can sneak a quick work out in, or I can squeeze one in before dinner. No matter what I do, my workout needs to be quick -- and effective.

I reached out to some super moms I know to see how they prioritize exercise and what works for them. Here's what they said.

"I bought an exercise bike. I started by biking while they are in bed and watch a 'me show' while I did. Now I do it with them and they try to climb up and ride with me. We do crunch and squat challenges which motivates me to keep moving, dance parties with the kids, and try to play with them when they want to play chase!"

"Walking with the stroller, going to park and doing exercises there."

"With two kids, I was really struggling finding 1. Time to work out and then 2. Time to shower afterwards. So now I run with them in a double jogger, and I shower during the first nap. I just did the couch to 5K with the jogger and gradually running with the jogger gets more manageable."

"Gold's Gym has child care at many of their locations if you have one near you."

"I used to take time to do squats while I pushed the kids on the swings in the backyard!"

"I love doing HIIT dance workouts on YouTube. They're normally like 20 minutes and I burn about 250 calories. I use EMKFIT the most, but also PopSugar!"

Don't forget to stretch -- this, and other floor workouts, is something I can do with my baby. I will find a "safe zone," like her bedroom, and shut the door. Then we'll stretch out on the floor together and I will stretch, do crunches, yoga poses, bridges, etc. while she looks at books or toys.

Of course it's fun to lift her -- the cutest arm workout ever.

Get outside and get fresh air with baby every day if you can. This does wonders for mental and physical health.

Accept help when it's offered. If your partner, friend, or parent offers to watch baby so you can take a fitness class, take a shower, get a massage or just have some "me time," say yes! I know this is easier said than done, but it's a lesson I've learned.

Help your partner. My husband and I try to help each other get 30 minutes of fitness in each weekday -- which sometimes means saying "yes" when we're tired or right when we get off work. Some days this doesn't happen, but we appreciate the days it works.

This can all be grueling, especially when you're running on less sleep, but the older I get the more important it is to me to stay fit. My health is worth it, and I look forward to the days when my daughter can workout right beside me!