Let’s talk naptime. If you’re a stay at home mom, you know how precious that small window of opportunity is when your kids are down for the count. You hope it will be a long count – two hours or more if they’re long sleepers, but you count yourself lucky if you get at least 60 minutes of uninterrupted time to yourself.

Well, for a lot of you moms this is the only time in the day that you might get to fit in a little work out. You don’t have the luxury of running off to the gym, meandering from machine to machine and chatting up the other moms between sets, because you’re stuck at home waiting for your little one to wake up.

What’s the answer? Think: 4th grade PE class!

Okay. The clock is ticking. You’ve got the free time. Now what do you do with it?

 Push Ups and Ab Crunches: 10 minutes

Alternate between sets of each and try not to take a rest. While Your abs rest, you’re working your arms and chest, while they rest you are going back to your abs. Do three sets of as many reps as you can of each. If you can’t do regular push ups do them on your knees and work your way up to “boy pushups”. Try to get to the point where you can do three sets of 15 repetitions of both push ups and crunches.

 Line Jumps: Scissors, Straddle, Side to Side  - 21 minutes- Details:

Jumping lunges: They used to call these Scissors, in PE. It is great cardio as well as good for your butt and legs.  After putting on a good sports bra you can begin. Lay a cord or rope down to serve as your line. Now, start lunge jumping quickly over the line with one leg after the other.  Do this for two minutes straight. 

Straddle: Without taking a break, straddle the line and repeatedly jump straight up over the line, clicking your shoes together in the air and then return with one foot on each side of the line. Do this for two minutes straight.

Side to Side: Go directly into this exercise without a break if you can. With feet together, jump to the side over the line, and back again. Try to jump as high as you can, while maintaining a good pace.

Take a 1 minute break, and repeat the series two more times.

Mountain Climbers: 3 minutes, non-stop

You all remember these, don’t you? Don’t laugh, girls! If you could do them in PE on the gym floor, you can do them  on your carpet or hardwood floors at home. Here’s a refresher: Get in a runner’s starting position as they do in track, with palms on the floor, one knee forward and one leg straight back. Now, just alternate leg position, moving one back while the other comes forward, at a quick pace.

This next one is where I deviate a little bit from PE class because women need more help with their rear ends than kids do.

Hallway Lunges: 4 minutes

Grab a set of dumbbells or something heavy. Hold them in each hand at your sides. Lunge your way up and down the hall for 4 minutes continuously. You do not have to go quickly. If you squat down with each lunge so that you really feel it in your butt, you will be effective even at a slow pace. Your stepping knee should be at a 90 degree angle as you squat down.

Shoulder Raises: 2 minutes

Take those same dumbbells and hold them at your sides. Raise them halfway and lower again to your sides. Repeat this keeping a steady motion for about 30 seconds. Now bring them in front of your thighs and with arms straight

Jump rope: 7 minutes

If you don’t have enough room in your house, take your baby monitor and step outside on the patio or front door step. This is good, old-fashioned jump roping and you all know how to do it. Go for two minutes straight with a 30 second break, and repeat. Go for another minute at a slightly faster pace without stopping. Rest for another minute.

Stretch: 3 minutes

You know what to do.  Stretch all the main muscle groups, and you’re done with ten minutes to spare before the munchkin wakes up. Now go refresh yourself!

Shower: 10 minutes