As I rocked my little girl to sleep today for her nap, I was thinking, "This feeling is the greatest in the world," and it truly is. There is no greater joy than a little one peacefully clinging to your neck, head resting on your cheek in complete comfort.

But earlier this morning as she spit up her milk on my freshly washed sheets, I was thinking, "Come on!!" Parenthood is a journey of ups and downs, a test of patience and love. Patience is probably one of the hardest virtues anyone has to conquer. In fact, it is never truly conquered. We are given the gift of life to get better at it, and strive inside of it--the journey is what counts. (I am getting to my point, don't worry!)

Working out and reaching a goal can be such a discouraging and frustrating thing--we often lose patience with ourselves, our bodies, our metabolisms and our trainers, not to mention being short on time, especially if you have kids. But we must take each workout as it happens. Each day is a different day, and each exercise is a new beginning to conquer.

My advice is that you shouldn’t try and conquer it all in one week, one month or even one year. It will only burn you out, so take your time and enjoy the process. Don't leave your family out of your journey either! Playing with them burns extra calories and is a good influence for their wellbeing. Be patient with the process, and enjoy the journey because in the end, relationships and family are what matter. By bettering yourself and keeping a joyful attitude about, you'll guarantee your results last.

Below are some "life exercises" that can burn up to 100 extra calories in 30 minutes or less. With some of them you won't even realize you're exercising, and you can include your family!

With 10 minutes:

• Jog around the block
• Jump rope--bonus points for jumping with your kids!
• Take the stairs the entire day

With 15 minutes:

• Swim laps or tread water (check out some of KC's best swimming pools)
  
• Dust, vacuum and other active household chores
• Kansas City neighborhoods have some crazy hills--run up and walk down

With 20 minutes:

• Power walk
• Shoot some hoops
• Do yardwork like mowing the lawn or raking leaves
• Dance!

With 25 minutes:

• Sweep and mop your floors
• Ping-pong match
• Bike ride with the kids
• Lift light weights at high repetitions
  

With 30 minutes:

• Hand-wash your car
• Prepare and cook a meal, then hand-wash the dishes
• Iron all of your clothes
• Fold all of the laundry
• Walk around Wal-Mart

 Alisha Jones is a certified personal trainer at Excel Wellness Studio. She is part of a team of fitness experts who provide health, fitness and wellness tips exclusively for Good Health KC.