Moms work out in unconventional way

After an exercise class at Manito Park, a number of the participants were bawling like a bunch of babies.

No one seemed to mind. They were, after all, babies.

The class, Stroller Strides, has started in Spokane. It’s a class where moms are encouraged to bring along their little ones.

The program helps women get fit after pregnancy, offers support to new moms and helps with fundraisers for community programs.

It also helps moms work muscles they will need to haul around their children on a regular basis and gives both the mothers and the children time together.

Nancy Schmidt, 34, a communications professor at Gonzaga University who will welcome her first child in November, brought the program to Spokane after talking to a friend who takes the classes in Los Angeles.

“Reaching out to all moms is important to me,” she said. “It’s not just about exercise.”

For an hour at a time, the group participates in cardiovascular exercises, resistance training and walking and jogging to different locations with their strollers.

At the recent class, there were around 30 mothers gathered with their children, strollers, diaper bags, bottles, water bottles, snacks, pacifiers and toys. Some of the moms even had more than one child in their strollers.

After they had slathered their children with sunscreen, they formed a circle and set their stroller’s brakes to start their morning workout.

If their strollers were heavy – which they probably were – none of the moms seemed to notice.

It was the first class of its kind in Spokane, so many of the mothers didn’t know each other or what to expect.

Once they started moving, the moms started chatting with one another about where they live, how many children they have, schools in the area and various parenting topics.

Schmidt offered tips about lifting from the legs, tips about health issues new mothers have and encouragement.

To keep the kids occupied while the moms exercise the group sang children’s songs, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and “The Wheels on the Bus.”

The singing helps the mothers know if they are working out hard enough or too hard. They want to be a little breathless, but they want to be able to talk and sing.

Schmidt told the mothers at the beginning of the class that the babies come first. If a mom needs to duck out of the circle to change a diaper or breastfeed, that is perfectly acceptable.

“I didn’t feel embarrassed in front of everyone else because it was all new moms,” said Laura Collazo, who brought her 7-week-old son, Anthony.

She heard about the classes through her mother-baby group at Sacred Heart.

Candy Blackman, who brought 6 ½-week-old Jaymes, said that she felt really relaxed and felt like she could take her son to the car if she needed to.

The program doesn’t only offer the workouts.

There is the Luna Mom’s Club, which is a play group that anyone can join, not just moms who are involved in Stroller Strides.

Moms that are looking for a break can join Mom’s Night Out, a group that meets once a month for socializing, workshops or other activities without the children.

Stroller Strides has over 300 classes around the country. It was started six years ago by a stay-at-home mom in San Diego who was looking for work outside of the home.

Schmidt said that all of the instructors are certified and go through extensive training to become Stroller Strides leaders and teach the moms how to exercise properly.

“The hope is moms do it on their own,” Schmidt said.