One Fit Mama

Stroller Fitness: Healthy Exercise for New and Soon-to-be Moms
Moms Don’t Need Babysitters to Go to This Class
Babies Welcome

The pressures of maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult at any point, let alone when one is experiencing a major change, such as having a new baby. Many new mothers feel so worn out and isolated by adjusting to a new child that they often don’t have the motivation to keep up with other things in their lives, especially not something like working out and staying fit. The Stroller Fitness class offered by One Fit Mama™ (http://www.onefitmama.com/) seeks to remedy this difficulty for prenatal and postnatal moms. What’s the best part about this fitness class? Baby is welcome too.

Stroller Fitness is an hour-long class composed of aerobic exercise and resistance training. A mother can use her baby in both segments; the stroller is pushed along for cardio exercise, and the baby can also be used as resistance during the strength training. A mother can get a personalized exercise program at a fraction of the cost of a personal trainer and babysitter. The class is a great way to get in the 30 minutes of walking a day for pregnant women, which is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Stroller Fitness is safe for prenatal mothers too. For prenatal mothers, exercise helps reduce the various discomforts and aches of pregnancy, as well as providing for shorter labor times and fewer interventions. Other positive side effects also include a lower incidence of diabetes, reduced stress, controlled weight gain, and overall stronger and healthier babies.

The class not only helps moms shed the pounds, but also serves as a great support group. Moms can chat with each other about what they’re going through, and new methods to try if something isn’t quite working. Medical studies have also shown a lower incidence of post-partum depression in women who participate in this kind of class. The exercise itself and being able to get feedback on how to handle things with the new child both help combat many of the common symptoms of the depression.

Stephanie, a regular attendee, has only positive things to say. “I feel really good about my body and myself, and my energy level has gone up. But the most important thing I’ve gained is meeting the other moms. One of my greatest fears when I became a mother was that I would become isolated from the world. With the classes, I can get out there and meet lots of new and interesting people. It helps me structure my day so I’m not just waiting around the house to see what I need to do for Grace.” Her daughter is now eight months old.

Stroller Fitness is focused on the mom’s convenience. One Fit Mama offers packages ranging in pricing to allow for flexibility in schedule. A mom can go to as many classes as she likes, with a wide selection of class times to choose from.

One Fit Mama™ was started in 2005 by Patricia Perez to provide a fitness center for new and expecting moms. Her own need arose after she gave birth to her first child, Caleb. Since her gym did not have child care, and it wasn’t feasible to hire a babysitter every time she wanted to work out, she developed her own exercise routines. Patricia has a B.S. in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training, and a M.S. in Sports Management. She has served as a professor at various universities, and is also certified by the American Council on Exercise in pre- and post-natal fitness.