Six Quick And Effective Excercise Activities To Get (And Keep) Even The Busiest Moms In Shape.

After giving birth to my second child, I quickly settled into a "mommy rut". My life consisted of cooking and cleaning, homeschooling my two children, running errands, and trying to be the best mother and wife I could possible be. Unfortunately, that didn't leave much - if any - time for exercise.

It wasn't a lack of health education that led to my sedentary lifestyle. I was fully aware of how vital exercise is for both the body and the mind. I just couldn't find the time to incorporate it in my busy schedule. Finally, I came to the realization that a healthy mother, often leads to a healthy and happy family.

From then on, I decided to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise a day to improve my overall well-being. However, time was still the issue. I needed to find the best exercise activities that would give a busy mom like me, more "bang for the buck".

Listed below are six simple, yet effective exercise activities to get (and keep) even the busiest moms in shape (these exercise activities can be done alone or with the family)

* Brisk Walking: Hands down, this has to be easily the most convenient way to get your workout on! All it takes is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a path (a stroller if you're taking your little ones along). Your goal is to walk with a longer stride and a pace that is somewhat faster than a leisurely stroll.

To stay motivated,set a goal for yourself in increments of 10. For example, for the first week or two try walking ten minutes a day, gradually working your way up to 20, 30, 40 minutes, and so on. Experts suggest walking about three to five miles (4 to 9 kilometers) and hour. So why not try shooting for that goal.

A great all over body workout; brisk walking is a great way to get you in shape without requiring much of your time.

* Bicycling: If you own a bicycle, you can really get a lot of "bang for you buck" from this form of exercise. Bicycling has the potential of burning up to 700 calories an hour!

So even if you can only do thirty minutes, you've at least burned 350 calories. You can go at it alone, or you can ride along with the family.

* Swimming: With virtually all the cardiovascular benefits of jogging, swimming allows you to exercise all the major muscle groups in your body. In addition, it helps keep your joints flexible, and is a great exercise for pregnant women, people who suffer from back problems, weight problems, or arthritis.

* Rebounding: Hands down, this exercise is one of my absolute favorite!. For those new to this term, rebounding simply involves bouncing on a small trampoline.

Advocates of rebounding claim that in addition to improving both blood and lymphatic circulation (which helps keep bodily fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections), it improves muscle tone, coordination and balance, and increases the capacity of the heart and lungs.

As beneficial as jump-roping, rebounding is much easier on the knees and back. A thirty minute to an hour jumping session is a great way to get your heart pumping, and improve your overall physical and mental well-being.

* Stretching: Considering all the lifting and pulling moms do on a daily basis, health experts recommend stretching to improve flexibility and blood circulation. In addition, stretching can help the joints achieve a full range of motion.

* Rope-Skipping (also called Jump Roping): Since weather is not a factor, and it can be done indoors and out; rope-skipping is a great exercise that takes less time, and gives comparable results.

One study at Arizona State University, found that just 10 minutes a day of rope-skipping, is equivalent to a 30-minutes-a-day-jogging-program.

If you're looking for a great exercise activity that incorporates stretching, look no further than Pilates. Pilates works and tones the entire body, and is both easy and time-friendly for the busiest of mothers.

Whether you choose one exercise activity from this list to stick with, or decide to mix it up; whether you exercise 30 minutes to an hour; whether you make it every other day or everyday; make it your aim to take care of yourself.

A healthier you means a healthier mind, body, and spirit. Thereby, making you a better mother, wife, friend, acquaintance, relation - simply a better you!