Get fit, make friends with Stroller Strides

I'm six months postpartum now and, I'll be the first to admit, it's still slim pickings in the pants department. I can just (barely) squeeze into the pants I packed away a year ago. And with the baby, a five-year-old, a busy work-from-home schedule and everything else, I haven't managed to get a regular exercise routine going.

How was it? Well ... I'm a little achy, but in a good way.

More than 30 moms, along with their babies to preschoolers, turned out on the rainy morning for the hour-long workout at Crowder Park. We power walked with our strollers along the paved path and stopped every once in a while for strength training and body toning.

I was a little worried that my old five-year-old stroller wouldn't cut it. And, for that matter, that I wouldn't make it. But Jen's workout offers variations for those of us who need to go slow at first. And the stroller survived.

We kept the kids engaged and (mostly) happy during those stops by singing to them ... "Wheels on the Bus," "I'm a Little Tea Pot," you get the picture. Did I feel kind of goofy singing and exercising at the same time? Yes. Were the kids entertained? Most definitely.

And if they got a little fussy, everybody understood and even offered to help out.

After all, we're all in the same boat.

Jen will offer classes four mornings a week, rotating between Crowder Park in Apex and Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh. In May, she'll begin to offer Saturday morning workouts. There will be activities after the workouts for moms and kids to get to know each other, charity activities and more. If they're anything like Wednesday morning, I recommend them.

And if you live in the midtown section of North Raleigh (inside the Beltline, North Hills area), stay tuned. Another local mom has plans to open Stroller Strides there.

And check out this video ...