I am transiting from full time stay-at-home mama to fulltime working mama. As I make this transition, I find that my workout time has been the first victim. I have gone from working out everyday to fitting it in once a week. I have notice that I have less energy, and I just don’t feel as well overall. I am searching for some clever ways to get back into my workout routine, but when I have a minute to myself, all I want to do is lay on the couch and read my scandalous tell-all book.  I am trying to incorporate some exercise into my daily task, so when I do get a minute for myself I can relax.

Chasing my toddler around the playground helps burn off all those chocolates I sneak at nap time.

Active is active whether you are wearing spandex or not. Here are some activities you probable do every day anyway, and they are very easy to turn into a little calorie burning.  The key to taking these actives to realm of exercise is to get your heart pumping. The more you move the better. Remember if it feels like exercise it probably is exercise.

House Keeping
There have been several studies that suggest daily chores such as house keeping and gardening reduce stress and burn calories. The key to making house keeping aerobic is to do it fast. Strap on an ipod and clean for your life. You can dust with both hands, scrub the shower door vigorously, or vacuum with an attitude. Although the amount of calories a person burn varies for everyone,  here are some recent estimates from WebMed:

• General cleaning: 127 calories
• Cooking: 92 calories
• Trimming shrubs: 157 calories
• Laundry: 133 calories
• Vacuuming: 123 calories

Compare these counts with walking for 30 minutes (at 3 mph), which burns 155 calories.

The Park
When I take my kid to the park, I see so many moms just sitting on the benches bored. The park is the perfect opportunity for some exercise. Chasing a kid over and through the playground equipment is most certainly aerobic. You can score some big points with the little one playing tag. Your kid will get more exercise too trying to keep up with you. If climbing all over the jungle gym is not your style, try a walk, kickball, or Frisbee. Don’t have a kid? Pets will dig the aforementioned activities, or you can borrow a kid. Seriously, take a neighbor kid to the park. Their parents will love you. Furthermore, it is a lot harder to blow off a date with a person then it is to blow off a date with a treadmill. Get outside have some fun.

Walking
I have already touted the benefits of walking in a previous post, but I can’t stress enough how easy an effective this exercise is. Walking does not need to be about exercise to be effective. It can be about catching up with a friend or some simple changes to your routine. It is easily the simplest way to get into shape and distress. Try taking a walk with your family after dinner. It is a really nice way to end an evening.

Dancing
Studies have shown that thirty minutes of exercise whether done all at once or in ten minute chunks is beneficial to your health. When I am at home with my toddler, sometime we just drop everything and dance around the house. I do this to distract him from bad behavior, cheer him up, or just simply to be goofy.

The benefits of no TV
Finally, one the best ways to ensure that you stay active is to turn off the TV. Many families keep the TV on as background noise, but it also becomes background entertainment. You would be amazed at the goofy stuff you will do to stay entertained when the TV is off. Best thing about no TV is that it will drive you and the kids outside. It is a little boring around the house without it.

These activities are not perfect, and I know they will not replace a good old fashion workout. I still love an hour of yoga all on my own, but right now that just isn’t as realistic. I find that the less I sit on the sidelines the better I feel.

Melissa is an English teacher and mother of one. She keeps of a blog of her daily mistakes at Fat Gold Watch as well as writing for Blissfully Domestic.