Free Stroller Strides Classes this week at all Midtown Raleigh locations!

Try Stroller Strides for FREE during the week of

June 20-24th, 2011!

The North Hills Mall & The NC Museum of Art Park

Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh would like to invite all local moms out to try our program for a full week at no charge! Join us for up to 5 classes for free. Please note: this offer is not valid for those holding an active Membership, Class Pass, or Living Social voucher.

Schedule:

• Monday, 6/20: North Hills Mall @ 9am
  


• Tuesday, 6/21: NC Museum of Art Park @ 9am
  


• Wednesday, 6/22: North Hills Mall @ 9am


• Thursday, 6/23: NC Museum of Art Park @ 9am


• Friday, 6/24: North Hills Mall @ 9am
  

Locations:

• North Hills Mall (Midtown Raleigh): Meet in front of the movie theater


• NC Museum of Art Park (Midtown Raleigh): Meet in between the East & West bldgs

Interested in signing up for Stroller Strides?

Don't miss our special Membership & Class Pass discounts--

this week only!

Commonly-Asked Questions:

What should I bring?

Please bring a sturdy stroller, a towel or mat for ab work, water, walking/athletic shoes and attire, and any toys/snacks for the little one/s as desired.

Do I need to pre-register?

You can pre-register so that your info is on file by clicking here. However you can also show up on any day (or every day!) between June 20-24th to attend class for free. We suggest arriving 10-15 minutes before the start of class.

What is Stroller Strides?

Stroller Strides is a total fitness program for moms that they can do with their baby or stroller-age child. The hour-long workout includes power walking and intervals of body toning, using exercise tubing and the stroller. Taught by nationally certified instructors who are trained in pre- and post-natal fitness, it's a great workout for any fitness level.

Fitness for Mom, Fun for Baby

In addition to providing a great full body workout for moms, we engage the children throughout our classes through songs and activities, keeping baby entertained while mom exercises. We welcome moms and babies from 6 weeks to any age that they’ll stay in a stroller (usually about 4 years old).

More than an Exercise Program

Our program also offers our Luna Mom Playgroup at no additional cost (click here for Midtown/North Raleigh area) that consists of weekly playgroups after class, monthly moms night out activities and special community events. Don't put it off any longer... come join all the Stroller Strides fun!

We hope to see you soon!

-Team Stroller Strides of Midtown Raleigh

The 10,000 Strides Challenge Winners are...

On May 1st our Stroller Strides group took on the 10,000 Strides Challenge. In self-selected teams of 3 they donned pedometers and began tracking their steps on a daily basis. Their goal was to exceed 10,000 steps per day per person and keep it up all month long. The winning team is the team with the most steps at the end of the month.

Our 10,000 Strides Challenge is now complete and we have a winner! The Yummy Mummys are our May 2011 10,000 Strides Challenge winners!!! Congratulations to Rebecca Smith, Megan Dosmann and Jennifer Anderson- the 3 Yummy Mummys!

For their hard work they have each won a racer-back tank top with the "Fit Moms Rock" logo (pictured below) because fit moms DO rock!

(Available in S-2XL in Berry, Black, Currant, Leaf or Royal Blue for $35 from our online retail store)

I hope this late Spring challenge gave all participants the extra push they needed to be more active. We'll hold another 10,000 Strides competition this fall and would love to have even more moms join us! If you want to see how your team stacked up against The Yummy Mummys- check out the final team totals below... and keep on striding!

Final Team Totals:
The Yummy Mummys: 1,200,810
The Lady Goo Goo Gagas: 1,062,042
The Muffin Top-less Mamas: 882,531
The Happy Feet: 662,430
The 3 Mom Blondes: 582,009
The Movin' Mamas: 98,552

Italicized Teams did not report in for one or more weeks during the month.

How to Run with a Jogging Stroller

The first time you run with a stroller will feel rather strange. The good thing is your baby is light and if you are pushing a good running stroller your run will be a breeze. Once you get used to running behind a stroller it will feel rather strange. I know I kept wanting to grab a push bar. Here are a few tips to help get both of you out there:

• Relax your Shoulders- It is common to tense up while pushing your baby. It is not a position we are used to. Plus, we are pushing 20+ pounds on wheels. Not something we are used to unless of course your day time job is pushing an ice cream cart. If you are tense your neck and shoulders will hurt. Relaxing your shoulders does sound weird but, what you want to do is drop your shoulders down so they are not up at your ears.
• Posture Perfect-Pushing from your center or middle will not only strengthen your tummy but it will also keep you from having a sore back. When you go up hills especially push from your center. You should not be hunched over the handlebars no matter how hard. In time this will get easier I promise.
• One Hand Push-Pushing your stroller is actually easier when you use just one hand. Push with one hand and swing the other to help you maintain your stride. Be sure to use the wrist strap on the hand that you push with. We do not want to hear about your stroller taking off down the hill without you. You will eventually develop your own running style.

Happy Strolling!

Originally posted by Joggermom at http://joggermom.com/blog/?p=393

9 Months On, 9 Months Off

Written by Farel Hruska,
Rebounding from labor and delivery is a process. You think that you should lose the baby weight and be back where you were before. Here is the reality of the postpartum woman: It took nine months to gain the weight, allow at least that long on the way back.

In addition to your body housing a growing baby and the extra weight it took on for the job, many other changes occurred. The hormone relaxin was released in your body to loosen your joints. This hormone helped your pelvis adjust for your growing baby. Just because you delivered your beautiful bundle of joy, doesn't mean your skeletal structure returns to its previous position. Your hips bones may be wider, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing!

Muscular changes are also apparent; a lengthened Trapezius, hand-in-hand with tightened pectorals, lead to forward shoulders. The weight of the breasts can cause discomfort as milk production begins, as well. The energy needed to care for a newborn can lead to fatigue and muscle pain. All that being said, go easy on yourself.

Beginning a workout after giving birth can be intimidating, but as you get in to a regular routine, you will start to see some very profound strides towards lean muscle mass and the reduction of fat. In addition, you will lower your resting heart rate, expand your cardiovascular threshold, sculpt your muscles and gain more energy along the way.

You may, in fact, be healthier now versus pre-pregnancy! How about that? So, you don't fit in your old jeans? So, the number on the scale isn't what it was when you were single? Great! Celebrate this change in life. Enjoy the beautiful and glorious gift of being able to bring a child into the world. Enjoy your health, your energy, your everyday victories and the moment by moment, overwhelming joy of being "Mom". Above all, go easy on yourself. It is about the journey!

Nine Months Off

Here are some month-by-month tips for getting back into shape after baby:

Month 1
Focus on reconditioning your core--abdominals and pelvic floor muscles--with gentle pelvic rocks and kegels. The pelvic floor can actually drop up to one inch just from pregnancy. These exercises can begin in the hospital bed (barring pain).

Month 2
Start gentle walking. Start with a 5 to 15 minute gentle walk and slowly increase time and intensity. Exercise at this point should be stress relieving not stress producing.

Month 3
Take baby out for a stroller workout. Include hills, intervals with changing your speed, and focus on good posture. Good stroller walking form includes leading with your chest, keeping hips close to the stroller handles, shoulder blades pulled back and down, abdominals engaged and wrists in neutral alignment with the arm.

Month 4
Use your baby as a weight and work out with baby. Try crunches with baby on your belly or hip bridge with he/she on your stomach as resistance. Even wearing the front carrier can be a workout. Try scapular retractions--pulling shoulder blades toward spine--with the weight of the carrier as resistance!

Month 5
Even if you're not nursing, continue to eat as if your food fuels your baby. Chances are you'll make better choices for your baby then for yourself. Remember to choose whole foods, fruits and vegetables

Month 6
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You should be drinking eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. Add another glass for each hour of activity.

Month 7
Make sure you're eating often enough...instead of a few big meals a day, try to eat five to six mini meals throughout the day.

Month 8
Consistency is key. You should be working out 30 to 60 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week. It doesn't have to be a traditional workout to count as activity.

Month 9
You're a role model mom. Focus on health and wellness instead of a size or a number on the scale. Children understand sooner than you think!

Farel Hruska has over 16 years experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She is the National Fitness Director for Stroller Strides holding Stroller Strides certifications throughout the country and supporting hundreds of instructors nationwide.

Hruska is a national educator and presenter in pre/postnatal fitness education. She is also a CEC provider for the American Council on Exercise and Aerobics (ACE) and The Fitness Association of America (AFAA). farel@strollerstrides.com

Habits Are The Answer

How many calories should I eat?

How long should I workout?

What workouts are most effective?

What should my percent of fat to protein be?

These are the questions I get daily. But I think there's something more imporant than those answers. We all really know that we should be exercising more and eating better quality foods. And while it's good to be better educated on nutrition and exercise, I think it's more important to figure out how to make healthy habits part of your life. I know that I "should" eat more vegetables, take my vitamins and drink enough water. But my habits sometimes disconnect knowledge with action.

It doesn't matter if you know that a pound of fat is 3,500 calories if that doesn't translate in to daily habits to reduce calories. Instead, think about one thing you can work on each week and keep doing it until it becomes a habit. The definition of habit is that it is a settled regular tendency or practice, one that is hard to give up. That is key! We have bad habits that we need to give up and we have new ones that we need to add in to our life.

What habits do you have right now without even thinking about it? Setting the coffee maker, brushing your teeth, buckling your seat belt? Some have said that it takes 21 days to create a habit. That may not be magic, but commit to a certain number of days. Make it a daily habit and start with a small step. Write it down and set a trigger to remind yourself whether it's a note or an alarm for example.

Let's just say that it does take 21 days to create a new habit. If you chose just one thing to focus on every 21 days, you could add 17 new habits this year! Let's face it, we would be happy with just a few healthy new habits that truly stick! Break that insanity that comes from trying the same things over and over just to wind up with old results. Instead, focus on daily actions that can lead to the results you want.

(This post was written by Lisa Druxman and originally appeared on the Stroller Strides blog on 6/6/11)

Our June Mom of the Month

Our Mom of the Month program honors one of our own Stroller Strides moms for her efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle and gives us a chance to get to know them better at the same time. June's Mom of the Month is Gina Sarant (aka LilaKate's mom)!

Gina and LilaKate have been active Stroller Strides Members since May 2010 and we absolutely LOVE having them in class! Gina always has a kind word and an encouraging smile for her classmates and pushes herself to work harder and be healthier at every opportunity. She's even been known to grind up liver and add it to a turkey burger for the added health benefits- ask her about it if you want to hear how the burgers turned out!


We asked Gina a few questions about herself and this is what she said...

Hometown: Castleton, NY
Education: College of Saint Rose- BS in Elementary Education and I have a 2 year degree in Financial Services from HVCC
Member Since: May 2010
Members of your Family: Jimmy (husand) and LilaKate (turning 2 this summer)
Current Career: Domestic Goddess- aka Stay at Home Mom... BEST job ever!
What was your childhood ambition? To be a mommy. I think I believed my Baby Beth was real for at least a couple of years. I took such good care of her and would really lose it when my brothers used to dangle her over the staircase...
What does motherhood mean to you? Everything! It took a while to get pregnant with LilaKate and I love everything about being a mommy! When I see food all over the floor or feel vomit all over me (only happened once!) I think, I waited a long time for this! Motherhood truly is the ultimate gift and I thank God for my little girl every day!
What is the furthest you've been from home? Greece, with Tahiti coming in as a close second!
What has Stroller Strides done for you? It has created the ultimate place to get fit, bond with baby and hang out with some of the greatest moms in the world!
What is your favorite exercise? "No More Monkey's Jumping on the Bed"... where we side step with our feet on the band and jump in and out. It has really helped "my problem areas"!
What is your proudest moment? Giving birth to LilaKate :)
What are three of your favorite things (besides your family)? Coffee, day spas, reading a good book.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us or that makes you unique. My best friend is someone I have known since birth... our moms were neighborhood friends and were pregnant together.
If we asked your spouse what they think your best qualities are, what would they say? "Gina's best quality is her heart. She is the most loving and caring mother LilaKate and I could have wished for." ~Jimmy Sarant