When you have a baby, all of a sudden the time that you once had for yourself during the day is pretty much out the door. Am I right? Many new moms are also unhappy with their bodies after pregnancy, but how on earth are they going to have time to get to the gym to workout on a regular basis? Don't fret. In this article, we will talk about how you can fit in that post pregnancy exercise...without having to go to the gym. *Important note: Make sure you have your doctor's approval before starting any kind of exercise. Here are some ideas on what you can do at home (and outdoors):

Enjoy Yourself.

Think of something fun that you like to do, or try something new that maybe you've been wanting to try. For example, I am a workout DVD junkie, and I was wanting to try something new and fun and was online one day when I stumbled upon the newest craze, the Zumba workout. I read a lot of reviews from people on this DVD workout and people were loving it, so I thought I'd give it a try. Well, I am sure glad I did because it is now my absolute favorite workout. I think I may actually be addicted to it! Again, you don't have to try something new, but your best bet is to at least do something you enjoy, and switch things up often otherwise you may get bored. Not liking your workouts and/or getting bored with them are more than likely going to lead to you not wanting to workout anymore and eventually stopping. Do you have a favorite sport? Or maybe you like to dance, swim, bike-ride or skate? The list goes on, just get active with something you have fun doing!

Fresh Air.

If you are still at home with baby (on maternity leave, at-home mom, etc.), get your post pregnancy exercise by taking your little one out for walks. Or, once your body is strong enough (and your doctor okays it), work up to jogging for a more intense workout. Or you can even do intervals with short jogging bursts (of about 1-3 minutes at a time) and then have a speed walking interval as your recovery period. Also, you can buy a pedometer (they're pretty inexpensive), and challenge yourself with how many steps you can do, and try to increase your number of steps as time goes on. If you are not at home with baby, and you are back at work, take walks (or jogs) at your lunch hour. You can even try to get a co-worker to go with you!

Exercise DVDs.

Buying a few exercise DVDs is much cheaper than a gym membership...and you get to do them in the comfort of your own home! There are many varieties of different workouts on DVD out there (kick-boxing, yoga, belly-dancing, aerobics, dance and strength-training to name a few). Some workout DVDs even incorporate baby into the workout! It is a good idea to buy ones that involve strength-training as well as cardio. Combining strength-training and cardio will be best for you to burn calories and fat as well as toning you up. You may need equipment when buying workout DVDs. Many DVDs have what equipment is needed on the back of their case, so make sure you read that before purchasing. Hand weights are generally inexpensive, you don't need anything fancy. If wanting to do yoga, you may also want to invest in a yoga mat, they keep you from slipping while doing your yoga workout. These are also pretty inexpensive.

Kids' Toys.

Do you have older kids? You may already have "gym equipment" in your house then! Get your post pregnancy exercise by jumping rope, hula-hooping or playing frisbee or catch with a ball. Or maybe your kids have a trampoline for you to jump on? A volleyball/badminton net? On a hot day, have a water gun/balloon fight with your older ones, or play tag with them. Get creative and have fun with your older kids at the same time!

Equipment.

Do you have any gym equipment at home? A treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine, etc.? Maybe you want to invest in some? You can even look into people selling them second-hand in your area for a more inexpensive option. If that doesn't interest you, there are many different exercises you can do without all that expensive equipment. Some examples of exercises you can do (some involve dumbbells, which are quite inexpensive as I mentioned previously) are things like squats, lunges, push-ups (you can modify these so that you are on your knees or standing and doing them on a wall for less intensity), jumping jacks, jogging on the spot, going up and down your stairs, dancing, crunches, strength-training with dumbbells or resistance band (bicep curls, tricep kick-backs, etc.), hip lifts (lay on the floor on your back with knees bent, and push your bum into the air, hold, repeat several times) and tricep dips (sit at the edge of a bench/stool/chair, hands on the chair close to your sides, fingertips facing your bum, dip down and up using your hands to push you up and down, repeat several times).

There you have it, 5 ways to get your post pregnancy exercise in during your busy days! Not only do these ways save you time (from travelling to the gym and back), but they are also inexpensive, so it's a win-win situation for you! Start incorporating these ideas into your daily routine (or even 3-4 days a week), and get that pre-pregnancy body back!