Hellobee Boards

I find that my best way to stay decently fit without too much time is weight training (high reps of moderate weight) and lots and lots of walking.

My current method has consisted of nothing but positive thinking. That...doesn't really do anything physically, haha.

I like ballet bar style workouts that I can do at home (specifically, I like Bar Method and Barre3. Both have DVDs and also streaming options from their websites). I dislike cardio and have to avoid high impact workouts due to bad ankles, so these are a good fit for me. I have found that they are really great for overall body toning. A bonus is that both types offer very short workouts (like 10-20 min) which are great for fitting in early in the morning or at night while kids are in bed.

A more general tip though is just to find a workout style that you actually enjoy because you will be much more likely to stick with it. I spent years trying to get myself to run, or use the machines at the gym, or do workouts like Jilian Michaels because it seemed like that's what everyone else was doing. I hated all those and never stuck with them.

I'd say my physique is the same as yours! What I used to do and am trying to get back into is little bursts of exercise when I have a chance (sets of sit ups squats push ups that sort of thing ) also lots of walking with my baby strapped to me. I have high needs children so even 20 min is too much to commit to so 5 min here and there is much more doable. I aim for after I wake up and before bed and just do as much as I can before one of the kids needs me.

Also I have a jogging stroller but baby isn't old enough for it yet. After dd1 I got in amazing shape when I started jogging.

I like taking classes at the gym. I like high intensity interval classes, barre, weightlifting/body pump, and TRX. Basically anything that's strength training and weightlifting, not straight cardio.

I'm the same height! For me, it's 90% diet -- I eat everything in moderation but always portion it out. I see better results when I cut some wine out. And for the other 10%, running 3x a week is the best. Once I'm at my ideal weight I add in some barre classes if I have time too. For the running, just Couch to 5K seems to work every time I need to get started again. I know if I force myself to run three miles without stopping or eat 100% clean that I will quit so I keep it easy and simple and it works!

When my son was about 6 months I decided to get a trainer. He's young and self employed so it was really inexpensive and since I'm one of his first clients he just hasn't really raised my rate.
I do go at 6:30am before my son is up and I'm back by 7:30 when he's usually just getting up or my husband got him and started breakfast. I only do it 2x a week.
But he's told me multiple times if I needed him to he could come to my apartment and still do a very effective workout in my living room. I just haven't felt I needed that.

All he has me do is lift weights. (You and I have similar height/weight and all I wanted was toning). Some machines, but for the most part it's free weights/dumbbells. He actually said for someone like me who just needed to be toned, running wouldn't do much.
I'm not saying this as a brag, just to show that it can be accomplished with weights and you don't have to be dripping sweat doing intense workouts - but I am in excellent shape now and am constantly getting compliments on my figure and muscle tone. The moms at my preschool are always asking what I do and asking for his number. Even strangers have commented (it's super awkward but I guess kinda nice).
Now, I still feel that my bottom half isn't very tone (hips thighs butt) - it's genetically the hardest area for all the women in my family and I'm honestly not even interested in clean eating and all that - which is what my trainer said I'll need to do to take it to the next level. I also have some restrictions because I have hip dysplasia which has also resulted in lots of cartilage tearing in my hips. So I can't so very intensive workouts for my bottom. Don't get me wrong, it's way better than it was before, my husband even comments - but I still see some room for improvement when I'm in my underwear or a bikini. In my jeans I'm fine and even happy with it.

All this to say - if possible Id try to find a young "new" trainer and strike up a great deal and ask them to come to your house during naps or early morning or something. If that's not possible I would get a small set of dumbbells (like 5-15 or 20lbs) and look up some basics. You can obviously do things like rows and curls and presses, but you can also hold them to do lunges and squats. Lots of the legwork he has me do don't even involve weights.
You can probably do a couple upper and lower movements each day and be done in 15 mins.

Weight training is so much more efficient at getting you toned than cardio (which just makes me hungry). I started getting back into a workout routine by using BBG workouts only (no liss/hiit) and then for the last few months have been doing hiit and/or weights 3-4x a week. I also invested in 3 personal training sessions to help me with form and it made a difference to my workouts.

I do a mix of high intensity, high impact cardio and some weight training. I'm not a "coach" but I've had really good success with the Beachbody workout DVDs (Insanity, Insanity Max 30, currently working on 21 Day Fix Extreme). I wake up before the kids (5am) and get my workout in at least 5 days a week. I've been a runner/ gym goer/ exerciser most of my life and the best advice is find something you find interesting and fun and do it nearly every day and you will see results (mixed with healthy eating of course).

@Jess1483: Did you see a change with the 30 day challenge ?

@Portboston: It's hard to say if it was totally attributable to that, because I was also doing a clean eating program, but it certainly made me stronger. Altogether, I lost 7 inches (4 waist, 3 hip) in a 7-week span, 30 days of which I was doing her challenge. I think so, though. I was able to do things physically at the end of the challenge I couldn't at the beginning.

@Portboston: I didn't see much results from Betty Rocker until I started the 90 day program. I did have to stop for a week in the 30 day challenge after I hurt my wrist (too many pushups and planks) so that could have been the reason for my slow start. I also didn't start really focusing on clean eating until the last week or 2 of the challenge. Once I really started eating right, I saw more definition. I haven't noticed nearly as much of a difference as JESS1483, but I'm also 44 and in pre-menopause so weight loss has been really hard for me. My goal is to tone and get stronger which I feel is happening.

Walking everywhere you go.

Rucking is what my sister swears by. I call this babywearing while walking the dog, but same concept. Walk with something heavy strapped to your back. I wear LO to the park (1 mile each way) and really play (squat down, chase him, lift him up the slide). I throw in 15 push-ups each day. My abs, butt, and legs are tighter than when I ran marathons. Seriously.