5 summer fitness tips for stay-at-home moms

School is out, and if you're a stay-at-home mom, you might realize that you are having trouble getting your workouts in with the kids around. If you happen to belong to a gym with in-house child care, then you have nothing to worry about, but what if you don't? Here are five ways to get those workouts in if you are a stay-at-home mom this summer.

Schedule fitness like any other appointment...give it priority status

Just like you make time for the things you need, like going to the dentist, or having your hair trimmed, working out needs to have the same priority in your schedule. If you're dropping the kids off at a practice, use that hour for your workout and be back in the last 10 minutes. There's no reason for you to be in the bleachers watching your baseball player field grounders for an hour if you can jog around the park instead. The point is, it takes more time to justify or regret not working out, or make excuses for it, rather than just going out and doing it!

Network with other moms for a "fitness share" child care support group

Other moms are in the same predicament when school lets out. So if you can find three or four moms that are willing to switch off child-watching duties while the others work out, it can make things a lot easier! And you'll have new fitness buddies to motivate you too.

Get the kids involved

Even a child as young as 5 can bike for a few miles on a trail without getting tired. So why not get everyone out and moving in the fresh air with a family bike ride, or nature walk? You can even burn a ton of calories simply playing on the playground for 30 minutes.

Make the most out of daily activities...

We're just more active in the summer by nature, so as long as you make the most out of those activities, you should be OK. Walk wherever you can, swim a few laps in the pool, and just keep moving. You can utilize ankle and wrist weights, too, if you want a little bit more exertion in your day.

Don't snack on scraps

It's so tempting to nibble that PB&J crust or finish off the last chicken nugget, but that can add up to over 500 extra calories a day if you're not careful! Don't worry about them going to waste; toss those scraps, or better yet have the kids clean up after a meal if they can, so you don't even have to see it!

Use these tips to stay on top of your fitness regimen when school is out and the kids are home. You can make fitness work around your busy summer!