Babies, babies, babies... now that I'm in my early 30's, everyone around me seems to be having babies.  I'm not quite ready to have kids myself, but because I think it's so darn fabulous what parents do I've created a special workout for all of you stay-at-home moms and dads who want to fit some exercise into your day.  The following program is especially for those who have small blocks of free time, have little to no exercise equipment in the house, have been sedentary for a while, and have minimal knowledge of exercise.  It's designed to hit every major muscle group once and give you a way to do SOMETHING when you can't get out of the house and don't have a big chunk of time.  Of course, you should always check with your doc before starting a new exercise program, especially after giving birth.

Part 1:  AM Cardio 15-20 minutes
You have a lot of options for this segment.  Here are a few ideas:
1.  Go for an outdoor walk with baby.  This is my favorite option.  But if it's too cold or otherwise unsafe for you to be outside with baby, you can...
2.  Dance around with baby in the house.  If you've got a wee one, you can put your infant in one of those bouncy things while you put on some not-too-loud music that inspires you.  If you've got a toddler, your child can join in the fun.  For example, my niece and I like to dance to hip hop and disco.
3.  Play, play, play.  Example...my niece loves it when I follow her around on my hands and knees.  Then we'll dance, then more crawling around the house.
4.  Get a short workout video or video with 20-minute segments that you can do while baby naps.  Collage Video has some great options.  You can also save money by checking out videos from you local library or getting a Netflix account and renting videos from their Sports and Fitness section.  You have the added option of streaming some workout videos with most plans.

Part 2:  AM Upper body 15 minutes
While baby naps or is otherwise content, do the following exercises.  Go for three sets of 15 reps each.
1.  Push ups.  Go for the full plank push-ups where you do them on your toes.  If those are too tough, you can do them on your knees - however, I prefer to modify by doing push-ups on a chair or bench if full-plank push-ups are too hard for you right now.  To see what I mean, click here for a video.

2.  Military press.  You can do these standing or seated.  This video gives a good explanation.  The woman in the video is using dumbbells - if you have dumbbells, start light - no more than five pounds.  If you don't have dumbbells, you can use any two items in your house that are the same and that weigh less than five pounds.  I suggest beginners start with soup cans.  After the soup cans get easy, you can progress to something slightly heavier (like a big can of soup!).

3.  Tricep dips.  Do these off of a chair. This video explains it.  One option that this video doesn't mention is to have your legs straight out in front of you with your feet on the FLOOR.  Do these after the bent knee ones are easy, then progress to having your feet on a chair in front of you.

Part 3:  PM Cardio 15-20 minutes
In the afternoon, do another cardio segment.  Any of the options listed in Part 1 will do.

Part 4:  PM Lower body and core
Afternoon nap time=chance for you to finish your workout.

1.  Chair squats.  Stand in front of a chair; squat down like you're going to sit in it, then stand back up.  Here's a video for clarification.  If this gets easy, you can make it harder by holding dumbbells (or soup cans).  Start at 3 sets of 15.

2.  Wall sit.  These are one of my favorite love/hate exercises.  They burn your quadriceps (the front of the leg).  Keep in mind that wall sits are not a good exercise if you have high blood pressure.  Work up to 3 sets of 15-20 seconds, then 30, then 45.  Yes, here's a video just to be sure.

3.  Calf raises.  You can do your calf raises on a stair.  Be sure to have a hand on a railing for balance.  This video gives a thorough explanation and offers a challenging one-leg version.

4.  Plank.  This is your core exercise.  Work up to 3 sets of holding your plank for one minute each time.  This video offers several modifications.  Notice how the exerciser has her elbows directly under her shoulders.

There you have it!  You got in 30-40 minutes of cardio exercise and 30 minutes of resistance training for your upper and lower body.
Congratulations on your little one...but don't forget to give some time to yourself!