It’s a trap most women fall into after marriage and kids – they forget about their figures, and in the process, their health as well. They forgo their exercise routines in favor of sleep and eat without a thought as to their health and weight. And before they know it, they’ve gained more weight than they care to measure and the figure staring at them in the mirror is unrecognizable from the one that fit into a snug and sexy wedding gown just a few years ago. They’re busy stay-at-home moms, so their lives revolve around their homes, husbands and kids; they have no time to exercise (or so they think) or eat the right food, and in the process, they compromise their health. If you fall into this category, here are a few fitness tips that could help you get back in shape without taxing you too much:

• A few minutes a day is enough: It‚Äôs a common misconception that you must exercise continuously for an hour or so in order to lose weight and keep yourself fit; in fact, even if you get ten minutes to yourself, you can make the most of it if you know how to exercise smartly. Strength training exercises take just a few minutes, but they‚Äôre very effective in helping to tone your muscles and boost your metabolism. So a few squats and lunges every day, combined with light dumbbell workouts go a long way in making you feel good on the inside and the outside.
• Avoid mindless and unnecessary eating: If you stay at home for the better part of the day, you do tend to eat when you get bored, when you‚Äôre chilling in front of the television, relaxing after a hard day‚Äôs work with a book, or just because your favorite snacks are available. It‚Äôs a habit that‚Äôs easy to get into and very hard to break. So it‚Äôs important to control yourself explicitly and avoid mindless eating if you want to stay fit and prevent putting on weight.
• Don‚Äôt let stress get to you: Even if you don‚Äôt eat too much and even if you‚Äôre not the kind to put on weight too quickly, if you‚Äôre constantly stressed out because of your kids, husband or anything else, you‚Äôre going to put on weight. Your hormone levels become erratic and you feel yourself ballooning up even though you‚Äôre maintaining a reasonable diet and staying as active as you can. So avoid letting stress get to you, and find ways to relax and rejuvenate yourself whenever you feel mentally off.
• Lead an active life: The more active you are, the higher your metabolism and the lower your tendency to gain weight. Keep yourself busy with household chores, do some gardening and other odd jobs around the house, play an active game with your kids, climb the stairs as often as possible, and do just about all that it takes to lead an active life. The more you tend to loll around on the couch or the bed during the day, watching television and just lazing around, the higher your tendency to put on weight and lose your fitness.

It’s the small changes in your lifestyle that add up to become excess pounds, so if you’re aware of them and avoid falling into this trap, you can stay healthy, slim and fit when you’re a busy stay-at-home mom.

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This article is written by Shannon Wills, who writes on the topic of Physical Therapy Assistant Schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id : shannonwills23@gmail.com .