Life with kids is busy, whether you're caring for an infant 24 hours a day or balancing the school and extracurricular schedules of high schoolers. Throw in taking care of the house and working, and your day is full, perhaps too full. Exercising, then, might get pushed to the back burner as you juggle multiple tasks. Finding a way to stay in shape while being a mom is important, however.

Once I got the all-clear from my doctor to start exercising again when I was six-weeks postpartum, I was ready to get moving. But, I wasn't sure how to exercise effectively with a newborn. She was too young to go into the playroom at my gym, so I had to discover new ways to burn calories and drop the baby weight. So, I canceled my gym membership and started getting creative with my workouts. Here are a few outside-of-the-gym ways for moms to exercise:

• Mom-and-baby classes. Find a way to exercise with your little one. Many areas offer mom-and-baby exercise classes. My daughter and I do mom-and-baby pilates and yoga every week. She hangs out next to me and plays while I burn some calories.
• Outdoor exercise. If you don't have time to waste driving to and from the gym, then make use of the outdoors when the weather is nice. Put your little one in the stroller and go for a walk around the neighborhood. If you're a runner, invest in a jogging stroller. Go on a bike ride or a hike with your older kids. A cardio workout doesn't have to take place in a gym.
• DVDs. Get an aerobic workout in your living room and invest in a DVD or two. You can pop it in whenever is convenient for you, when the baby is napping or when the kids are at school. You can find a DVD for whatever type of exercise you enjoy, from Zumba to yoga and everything in between.
• Weights at home. A couple of hand weights can go a long way in helping you tone. There are hundreds of easy toning exercises you can do in the comfort of your home. Again, these exercises are easy to fit into a busy mom's schedule.

Chasing after your little ones might give you a bit of a workout, but supplement it with other creative exercise ideas. Your body will thank you.