Exercising can be the last thing on your mind when you’ve just had a baby, but being active can have some huge benefits for new moms. Combined with a healthy diet, exercise is a great way to help shed those postpartum pounds.

It can also help lower your stress, give you more of that much-needed energy, and improve your quality of sleep (yes, please!).

Just like pregnancy, losing the baby weight is a marathon not a sprint. Research shows you’ll be more likely to keep the weight off if you drop the pounds slowly and steadily, at a rate of about a pound a week through a combination of a healthy diet and exercise.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends women get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, ideally spread out over several days. Most women are able to safely exercise about six weeks after giving birth, but that can vary.

It’s important to check in with your doctor about what types of exercise you can do and when, while healing from pregnancy and labor.

Even after getting cleared for exercise, however, you’ll probably still want to take it slow — at least in the beginning. Remember: You’re still healing.

You don’t need to hit the gym or run any 10k races to reap the benefits of exercise. There are tons of great ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily life, and many activities you can do with your baby in tow.

STROLLER WALKS

Strap your baby in, and take off on a brisk walk at a park or around your neighborhood. You’ll get your heart rate up, and your little one will get some fresh air and see a bit of the world. Win-win!

To make sure you’re getting to a moderate intensity level, try to walk at a fast enough pace that your breathing and heart rates are elevated, but not so fast that you can’t carry on a conversation.

MOMMY AND ME CLASSES

Many yoga studios, gyms, and pregnancy centers have “Mommy and Me” classes specifically designed for new moms and their babies. Classes are structured to incorporate infants into the fitness routine, so you won’t have to scramble for a sitter or miss any of those cute baby smiles while you’re working out.

As a bonus, these classes are also a great place to meet other new moms, not to mention getting in some adult interaction.

INCLUDE EXERCISE IN DAILY ACTIVITIES

Two and a half hours of physical activity a week is recommended, but you can get there 10 minutes at a time. Instead of rocking your baby to sleep in a chair, try dancing them around the room.

While your baby is playing on the floor, do some floor work yourself with a routine of no-equipment exercises like push ups, leg lifts, and sit ups. Get creative!

Even parking in the back of the parking lot to walk further to the store can really start to add up. Exercise doesn’t have to be done at a gym with sneakers and a sports bra.

Sometimes all you need is a little motivation and some baby smiles to cheer you on.