With or without your kids: 9 Workouts that work for every mom

The best
workouts for busy moms

Stay fit, healthy and happy with these expert tips
on managing motherhood and exercise.

Motherhood is awesome , but between the "mommy tax" on fruit snacks, sacks of leftover Halloween candy and spending a huge chunk of time in the kitchen every day, it's a full-time job that can be tough on your waistline. And we won't even go into the damage the little butterballs do to our stomachs while they're inside them. Maybe that's why research says that moms gain an average of 7 pounds per kid.

To keep it from happening, we're told to eat healthier and exercise more, usually by people who don't have to deal with an infant every 30 minutes at night. Fortunately, according to our mommy experts, you don't need to give up your workouts just because you roll with a posse of little people. Here are nine great ways for every mom to stay fit, healthy and happy.

You're already at the park every day the weather is decent, so why not exercise along with the kiddos? A playground has everything you need to make a great cardio and strength circuit, like this "playout" workout from SHAPE. Kara Thom, co-author of Hot Mamas: Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom and mom of four, adds that playouts "tend to go better if you let them take the lead: Ask them what they want to do and go with it ."

Helpful hint: Yell, "Tag I'm it!" and your kids will got nuts. Tag may be the best sprint workout ever.

"Yoga is a powerful holistic workout that is beneficial for women at every stage of life," says mom Tamara Koscielski, 500 RYT and LifePower Yoga coordinator. "For post-partum moms, it teaches you how to calm yourself, which helps with everything from deeper sleep to milk let-down when breastfeeding. For older women in any stage of menopause, hot yoga helps balance your hormones and release stored toxins." Plus, kids are naturals at yoga and will love to do Down Dog and Tree Pose with you, even if they jump on your back when you're in plank .

Helpful hint: This workout lends itself well to pajamas! Even at 3 p.m.!

Learn about the best yoga poses for flat abs >>

The internet is a bounty of free workouts. From the short-but-intense offerings of BodyRock.tv to the hardcore CrossFit to the bubbly Pop Pilates, you will never have to pay for a workout again!

Helpful hint: The trick, Thom says, is to lower your expectations. "If I'm working out with my kids around, I know not to expect the same intensity or duration I would have if I were working out on my own. Someone will need a snack. Someone will poop. Someone will pick a fight. And on it goes. But whatever I manage to accomplish is better than doing nothing!"

Get the 10 best free workouts on YouTube >>

Many gyms and community centers offer programs like "Stretch and Stroll" at the mall, parent-child swim classes, family boot camps and other classes specifically designed to bring your kids along with you. Koscielski says this is how she first got back into exercise after her daughter was born. "It was a gentle way to work out but still stay with my baby."

Helpful hint: This is a great way to make mommy friends — those girls are health and sanity savers!

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One of the easiest exercises for moms to do is to slip out for a run or jog. According to Thom, the only "must-have" piece of equipment is flexibility. "Accept that there is no one way to make it work. Some days I get up early and go running while the house is sleeping; sometimes I run with my toddler in the stroller while my older girls set the pace on bikes. When I take my car in for an oil change, I run home. I have also run to the school and back when I go to volunteer."

Helpful hint: Thom adds that treating yourself to a cute running dress or skirt can make these running errands much more fun.

Read up on the 8 common running myths, busted! >>

If you're not up for a run, a slow walk up an incline can help you tone your legs and backside plus give you a good cardio burn. Koscielski adds, "It will help burn off stubborn baby fat by keeping your heart rate in a lower zone ."

Helpful hint: Colicky babies often settle quickly when taken for a walk in a close-body carrier or baby wrap.

Kendra Ruff, owner of Iron Fit and Lifetime Fitness personal trainer, specializes in women's fitness. "My favorite workout to recommend to moms is anything on the TRX," she says. "Because every move you do with it incorporates balance and core work — two skills vital for rehabbing the core after pregnancy." The TRX is a simple system made from two straps with handles that can be attached to any stationary object. You then use your body weight as resistance while you do moves like a rotational lunge, one of Ruff's favorites.

Kids are naturally active so don't get stuck on the sidelines checking your email on your phone; sign up to coach the soccer team, get in the pool during swim lessons, jump rope, hula hoop, play baseball, shoot hoops and ride bikes. Thom shares, "When I became a mom my biggest challenge was the same as most moms: Finding the time. But if you're willing to include your children in the workouts, this excuse is diminished significantly."

Helpful hint: Don't worry about embarrassing yourself or looking dumb in front of the other adults. Kids are remarkably forgiving and chances are some other parents will jump in too when they see you go for it.

Sometimes you just need a break from your kids, and exercise is the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam! As a mom of four, my No. 1 priority when searching for a gym is the quality of their childcare center. Many gyms and community centers now offer childcare or child classes as part of your membership or for a small fee. If the kids are happy, then I'm happy!

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