By Kristy Shreve Powers

Get a 6-muscle-group workout with everyday play!

If you have a baby at home, you already know the energy it takes to keep up with their daily needs for play, cuddling, eating and clean-ups. Why not use it to your advantage -- and get a workout that works for both you and your baby?

The following six exercises start with movements you may already make with your baby on a regular basis. Each one works a different muscle group. Quadriceps and hamstrings (the front and back muscles of your upper leg), calves, lower back, abdominal (stomach) muscles, pectorals (chest) and glutes (gluteus muscles, or buttocks) are targeted by one or more of these exercises.

Just modify them enough to maximize their toning potential, like this:

1. Swaying to music -- quadriceps and hamstrings

When you're holding baby and moving to music, simply stretch your legs out farther to each side. Make each sway a lunge to that side. Keep your toes pointed out and don't let your knees pass over your toes, and you'll get the full benefit of this exercise.

2. Baby airplane -- lower back and abdominals

Put baby on your shins while lying on the ground. Swing knees up to your chest, giving baby an airplane ride as you go. Just make sure to bring your knees straight up to your chest; don't twist your torso at all.

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3. Bouncing to fast music -- abdominals

Sit cross-legged on the ground with baby on your lap. Bounce your torso up and down to the rhythm of the music. Begin leaning to the right and left as you bounce. It only takes a few minutes of this to really work your abs!

4. Baby bench press -- pectorals

This exercise works best while baby is still small and not able to wriggle out of your grasp -- though most babies like to try! While sitting on the ground, hold your baby around the chest like you would to put baby in the bathtub, then lean back so you're lying on the ground with baby's chest touching your chest. Push baby in the air and bring your arms down again, slowly. Repeat as long as baby is willing and as long as your arms can handle it.

5. Baby butt lift -- glutes

Lay on your back on the floor with your feet pressed flat against a wall. Your knees should be bent at about a 90? angle. Place baby sitting up on your lap, facing you, and hold on to baby around the chest. Lift your butt in the air and hold it. Slowly drop it down. Repeat. Or bounce up and down quickly to give baby some giggles.

6. Reach for the sky -- calves

Place your baby in a sitting position with a good view of you. Stand up tall on your tiptoes with your arms reaching up high. Say, "Up high!" Then drop your arms down, come down on your feet and bend at the waist to touch your toes. Tell baby, "Down low!" Repeat until baby gets bored, or you do.

Finally, don't forget the calories you'll burn laughing with your baby! That's real quality time.