On the first day of Stroller Strength, I strapped my four-month-old daughter into her stroller and placed eight-pound dumbbells in the storage area for added challenge.
I felt out-of-shape and doughy, like I was plodding through my days of stay-at-home momdom. I wanted to feel light, energetic, and fit again. In a lucky break, a fellow mom in my neighborhood was teaching “Stroller Strength,” a mom-and-baby exercise class, at a park less than a mile from my house. (Similar classes marketed as StrollerStrides and under the generic names, “stroller fitness” and “stroller workouts” may be found anywhere there are moms and babies. Search through Google, or call your local gym.)
Before I adopted my daughter, Celia, I was in fantastic shape. Well, fantastic for me. I worked out every morning, doing cardio workouts and strength-training at home. At night, I walked my dogs up to two miles. I had firm abs—my husband even said so. I had endurance for the first time in my life.
But after Celia came home, my priorities shifted. I hoped Stroller Strength would help me find the balance that is so elusive when you’re raising a child and trying to take care of yourself.
By the time I got to class, I was already huffing and puffing. Our instructor, Jessica Covington, arrived with her son, who was just a little younger than Celia. Jessica runs a corporate wellness company called FIT-ology and is also finding her way as a first-time mom. Other mothers showed up, and after signing in, we warmed up while our babies hung out in their strollers. Then, we left the park and headed out into the neighborhood.
What a sight, eight women power walking while pushing strollers. We arrived at the lake, and Jessica led us in toning exercises. She had ordered bands for resistance, but they hadn’t come in yet. I pulled out my dumbbells and began working my weak muscles back into shape. From the lake, we turned and headed up Heartbreak Hill, the steepest hill in our notoriously hilly neighborhood.
