Fit4Baby Prenatal Exercise Classes start this weekend!

And its not too late to join us for Spring Session 1! Pregnancy is the perfect time to commit to you and your baby's health. Exercise is an important component to your pregnant well-being, as well as your strength as a new mom. Our instructors want to help you be FIT FOR MOTHERHOOD!

What is Fit4Baby?

Fit4Baby is a prenatal fitness program that teaches women how to exercise safely and effectively throughout their pregnancy. Each nationally certified instructor is trained in providing pregnant women with exercises that are safe and appropriate for their changing bodies. Fit4Baby classes are interval based, combining elements of strength training, cardiovascular exercises and stretching and balancing exercises.

When are Classes?

9am-10am on Saturday mornings... perfect for the working mother-to-be! Classes meet in 5 week sessions and cost just $60/session.

Spring Session 1: April 2nd-May 7th (no class Easter weekend)

Spring Session 2: May 14th-June 18th (no class Memorial Day weekend)

Summer Session 1: June 25th-July 30th (no class on July 2nd)

Where are classes held?

Classes meet outdoors at the NC Museum of Art Park and utilize the park and greenways as our open-air exercise studio!

Who should sign up?

All pregnant moms who have been cleared by their physician to exercise. All fitness levels are welcome. Please make plans to leave other children at home with a caregiver as this class is a special time for moms and moms-to-be only!

How do I register?

Register below with Paypal and you will be contacted within 2 business days with Registration confirmation and additional information.

Fit4Baby Registration

Spring Session 1 $60.00 Spring Session 2 $60.00 Summer Session 1 $60.00

Registrant's Name

Email Address & Phone #

Unused classes may be rolled over into future Fit4Baby sessions or credited towards future Stroller Strides classes. Please feel free to contact the office with any questions at (888) 760-0142 or missycurrin@strollerstrides.net.

The Cinderella Project Dress Giveaway Day!

Our Luna Moms Club playgroup (sponsored by the makers of Luna Bars and by Stroller Strides) generally meets for fun activities for either the kids, the moms, or both. In addition to our fun activities we take a little time every quarter to do a service project and call this portion of our playgroup "Moms with a Mission". In the past we've done charity walks/runs and collected canned goods but this year our group has gone above and beyond- all thanks to the tireless energy and creativity of our Moms with a Mission Coordinator, Jennifer Anderson!


Most recently we donated formal wear to an annual event: The Cinderella Project. The dresses were collected by the Meredith College Fashion Association who organized the event to provide free prom dresses to high school students who might not otherwise be able to afford to purchase a new dress for the big night. This weekend was the culmination of The Cinderella Project- the dress giveaway and Jennifer was there at North Hills to witness all of the excitement! Below are Jennifer's observations and a few photos taken during the giveaway on Saturday, March 19th.


I stopped by The Cinderella Project dress giveaway at North Hills this morning and snapped a few pictures. There were over 50 people waiting for the doors to be opened, and they had a really good turn out.





I think they collected 240 dresses, which includes 20 from us (the Midtown Raleigh Stroller Strides moms) and 12 from the Raleigh Stroller Strides moms.



Angela's poofy electric blue dress was a huge hit and the girl who ended up getting it was so cute!




I was really glad I stopped by, since it was fun to see the girls' excitement, and to know that we helped contribute to their special day! ~Jennifer


If you want to get involved with our next Moms with a Mission project we'd love to have you join us. Our group will walk for The March of Dimes on April 30th at the March for Babies in Durham, NC on "The Bea Team". Click here for more info or email me at missycurrin@strollerstrides.net.

One way to Avoid the "Farmer's Tan"

The sun is shining on Stroller Strides classes and the farmer's tans are starting to emerge! There's nothing I can do about the white feet (shoes are required for class :)) but I can help you with the t-shirt tan lines! I'm putting in an order for some warm-weather Stroller Strides apparel and would love to include you in my order for Chocolate Brown ribbed tanks (sizes M-XXL). You've seen Alicia sport hers in class these last few months and doesn't she look great?! Now these tanks are available for just $18.99 if you order by tomorrow (March 18th).

Available in sizes M-XXL (runs small- order up one size) for $18.99 (includes shipping). The order goes in tomorrow (Friday, 3/18)! Email me ASAP if you want one missycurrin@strollerstrides.net or purchase after class tomorrow!

Cash, check, or VISA/MC accepted.

Working Out With Baby and a Stroller

Most moms take their baby for a walk in a stroller. But you can also turn that walk in to a workout! You can get a cardio workout that burns lots of calories by picking up the pace from a slow walk to a brisk “stroll” with your stroller. In this workout, you will recreate your own gym outdoors, using benches and fences along with your rubber tubing and the stroller for balance.

Any stroller will work, with the exception of an umbrella stroller (these are not designed for stability or speed.) It’s easiest to workout with a jogging stroller, which steers more easily and allows you to maintain better posture. I’ve designed the Stroller Strides Fitness Stroller by BOB. It’s made not only for intense strolling, but is equipped with a fitness kit that includes tubing for resistance exercises. Whichever stroller you choose, make sure that the wheels and construction are solid, and that baby is comfortably strapped in.

The beauty about being outside is that your child is happily distracted—and for a moment, you’re off the hook from entertaining duties. Babies under one year are absolutely fascinated with leaves blowing on a tree and clouds moving through the sky. That’s not to say that you aren’t fun to watch: In our Stroller Strides classes, half the fun for the kids is watching the mommies do silly things!

I recommend that you do a stroller workout in intervals to keep your child stimulated. So move with the stroller, walking or running, then stop every few minutes and do one or two exercises with your tube. When you are doing your exercises, turn baby to look at a busy playground, scenic park, rushing pedestrians, or whatever catches his or her fancy. Or face baby and keep up the rapport as you whip through your routine by singing songs. Research shows that you can teach toddlers new words through songs. (You may not think you are the greatest crooner in the world, but your baby sure loves your voice!)

If your baby isn’t crazy about the stroller, be patient and firm. Do what feels right, but keep in mind that if you take him out every time he whines, he’ll learn that crying is the key to getting out. Stick to a regular schedule of specific days and times when you use the stroller. Baby will soon realize, Mom takes care of me all day long and this is the one hour I’m going to be here. If you know your baby is comfortable and not hungry, don’t feel guilty about putting him in the stroller for a short time. I’ve seen hundreds of kids each day in our classes. Most babies love the workouts with mom.

Want some company? Come join us at a Stroller Strides workout. To find a class near you, go to www.strollerstrides.com.

Originally posted by Lisa Druxman on THE Stroller Strides blog- thanks, Lisa!

Registration is now open for Fit4Baby Prenatal Exercise classes!

What is Fit4Baby?

Fit4Baby is a prenatal fitness program that teaches women how to exercise safely and effectively throughout their pregnancy. Each nationally certified instructor is trained in providing pregnant women with exercises that are safe and appropriate for their changing bodies. Fit4Baby classes are interval based, combining elements of strength training, cardiovascular exercises and stretching and balancing exercises.

When are Classes?

9am-10am on Saturday mornings... perfect for the working mother-to-be! Classes meet in 5 week sessions and cost just $60/session.

Spring Session 1: April 2nd-May 7th (no class Easter weekend)

Spring Session 2: May 14th-June 18th (no class Memorial Day weekend)

Summer Session 1: June 25th-July 30th (no class on July 2nd)

Where are classes held?

Classes meet outdoors at the NC Museum of Art Park and utilize the park and greenways as our open-air exercise studio!

Who should sign up?

All pregnant moms who have been cleared by their physician to exercise. All fitness levels are welcome. Please make plans to leave other children at home with a caregiver as this class is a special time for moms and moms-to-be only!

How do I register?

Register below with Paypal and you will be contacted within 2 business days with Registration confirmation and additional information.

Fit4Baby Registration

Spring Session 1 $60.00 Spring Session 2 $60.00 Summer Session 1 $60.00

Registrant's Name

Email Address & Phone #

Classes will be canceled and tuition refunded if minimum enrollment of 4 participants is not met by the Wednesday prior to the beginning of the session. Unused classes may be rolled over into future Fit4Baby sessions or credited towards future Stroller Strides classes. Please feel free to contact the office with any questions at (888) 760-0142 or missycurrin@strollerstrides.net.

Pregnancy is the perfect time to commit to you and your baby's health. Exercise is an important component to your pregnant well-being, as well as your strength as a new mom. Our instructors want to help you be FIT FOR MOTHERHOOD!

Space is limited- register early!

Feeding the Family: Roasted Shrimp Tacos

Another creative, fun, and healthy meal from the kitchen of one of our Stroller Strides moms, Kerri Kanter. Thanks for sharing, Kerri!

Who says our kids are the only ones who can play with their food? Here is a simple, fast, and healthy recipe that everyone can eat with their fingers: Roasted Shrimp Tacos!

Ingredients:

1 lb uncooked shrimp

1 tbs olive oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 head of Boston lettuce leaves (or butter lettuce)

Optional toppings: Avocado, Tomato, Red bell pepper, Salsa, Reduced fat cheddar cheese, Black beans, Cilantro, Scallions, and Black olives

Directions:

1. Clean, remove tails, and de-vein shrimp.
   
2. On a baking sheet, toss shrimp in oil, salt and pepper.
   
3. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.
   
4. Let cool for a few minutes until safe for everyone to touch.
   
5. Using the lettuce leaf as your taco shell, add shrimp and other favorite ingredients.

Do you have a healthy recipe to share with our Midtown Raleigh Moms community? Email it to missycurrin@strollerstrides.net and we'll get it posted here for all to try!

Calorie Counting and Meal Planning

Recently two of our beautiful Stroller Strides moms approached me with a request. They wanted to know what free website I would recommend to track caloric intake and get sound nutrition advice and even recipes for meal planning. I posed the question to our 300+ Stroller Strides franchisees across the US, Canada and even Korea and got some wonderful recommendations.

Here they are (in no particular order) for you to check out:

• fitday.com
• sparkpeople.com
• loseit.com
• MyPyramid.gov
• myfitnesspal.com
• livestrong.com

As far as I know all of these websites are free to use and some even have iPhone apps that you can use on the go. A common sentiment among the franchisees was that you should not rely on the amount of calories that these sites tell you you've burned because they tend to overestimate. Which of these sites have you used? Can you recommend any others?

Our March Mom of the Month

Our Mom of the Month program allows us to honor one of our fellow moms and get to know her better at the same time. Our March Mom of the Month is Jen Hansen (aka Ivy's mom)! Pictured here at our Halloween party this fall...

Jen and Ivy rarely miss a class (only when they're out of state) and Jen always brings her smile and sunny attitude to class with her. Thanks for being such a great role model to Ivy and to your fellow moms, Jen! We can't wait to meet your little boy this spring!

Here is a little more from Jen to help you get to know her better:

Hometown Centerville, MN
Education BS Exercise Science from Minnesota State
Stroller Strides Member since August 2010
Members of your Family Husband- Marc, Ivy- 12months, and 26 weeks pregnant with our little man!
Current Career Stay at home mommy, the best job in the world!
What was your childhood ambition? To become an oceanographer and be a killer whale trainer at sea world.
What does motherhood mean to you? The strongest form of love to be experienced. It is the most important job I have ever had and I want to be great at it.
What is the furthest you have been from home? Costa Rica
What has Stroller Strides done for you? Making the life change to being a stay at home mom smooth, restored sanity, given myself and Ivy great friends in Raleigh, and gave me my body back! Well... until I was pregnant again, but I am a strong believer that it will happen again :)
What is your favorite exercise? Oh there are so many how do I choose...abs and anything with a jazzy tune.
What is your proudest moment? Delivering Ivy! 23 hours of labor with no drugs... never thought I could be so strong.
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family!)? Traveling, snuggling up and watching a movie, and house hunting.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or makes you unique. I was a pole vaulter in college, also coached pole vaulting for 3 years and had 1 state champion. I love the sport.
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? I am very layed back, cheerful most of the time, a great listener, not a nag, and I love with my whole heart.