Getting back in shape after having a baby is no walk in the park. Or is it?
Stroller Strides of Savannah, run by fitness instructor Natalia Lucero, helps new and expectant mothers improve their fitness with daily exercise classes in J.F. Gregory Park in Richmond Hill.
The hour-long classes feature modified workouts for women of all fitness and activity levels. Best of all? Moms don’t have to leave their babies at home.
“It’s great because they can get out of the house, work out, make friends and not worry about having to find a sitter,” said Lucero, who, as mom to 18-month-old daughter Sofia, knows just how hard it is to work out with a baby in tow.
“It’s not always easy, but I can’t stress how important fitness is for new moms,” she said. “Being a mom is such a physical job.”
Lucero started the franchise, which is part of national fitness program Fit4Mom, in July after moving to Savannah.
“I looked to see if there was a Stroller Strides program here, and there wasn’t, so I decided I had to open one,” she said. “It’s such a good program for moms, and I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to be part of a program like this.”
And moms aren’t the only ones who benefit from attending regular fitness classes, Lucero said.
“The kids learn to exercise as well, and they grow up with exercise as a part of their lives, so it’s not something they learn to see as bad, but instead they love it.”
Blythe Conway has been a member since she was six months pregnant. She learned of the program through an online newsletter and said joining has been the best decision she ever made.
“I went the first day and felt a little silly, because I didn’t have a stroller or a baby. But these women just welcomed me with open arms, and they are what got me through my pregnancy,” said Conway, whose husband deployed to Afghanistan one month before their son Jack Henry was born and won’t return until September.
“It was very, very hard. This really special group of women got me through every day. They visited me in the hospital, brought me food after the baby was born. It’s really beautiful. We support each other, and these friendships will last forever.”
Conway said she couldn’t wait to get back to the classes after Jack Henry was born, and having him there only adds to the experience.
“We’re outside, working out in a park with our babies. Does it get any better than that?”
Stroller Strides of Savannah is open to expectant and new mothers, as well as any interested dads. Members meet Monday-Friday at 9:30 a.m. in J.F. Gregory Park. Evening classes are also available by appointment. A pass for a single class costs $8, and membership is $55 a month for unlimited classes. Military discounts are available.
To learn more, check out the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StrollerStridesOfSavannah, or visit www.fit4mom.com.