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Mothers Now Can Rock And Stroll Saturdays

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By PAUL CATALA pcatala@mediageneral.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 27, 2009

Since June 2007, FishHawk Ranch mothers and their young children have spent time three times a week working out with each other. Well, the mothers work out; their kids just go along for the ride.
Stroller Strides Tampa is an outdoor, exercise training program that allows moms to take their infants, toddlers and young children with them during workouts with strollers and the instructor.

Generally, between six and 12 mothers with their children attend Stroller Stride classes at 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in Park Square. Most recently, a class has been added at 9 a.m. Saturdays.

Stroller Stride Tampa hour-long classes incorporate the use of strollers and resistance bands with muscle-strengthening exercises for toning, cardiovascular health and increased flexibility.
Stroller Strides franchise owner Natalie Johnson said the new April Saturday sessions are specialty classes, with the focus on varied fitness topics. Among the topics are abdominal-core exercises, post-partum issues, goal setting, healthy and fun diets for children, buttocks-specific exercises and ways to avoid fad diets and exercises.

Johnson, a certified exercise physiologist and fitness instructor for 24 years, each week focuses on an intensive, 30-minute exercise class, with 30 minutes spent on a specific health and fitness topic.

The morning of March 7, Johnson led a "Walkers-Plus Clinic," a free workshop for all FishHawk residents, which covered appropriate footwear, a gait analysis, how to get maximum benefits from walking, how to burn the most calories, how to avoid burning out and walking for weight-loss and injury prevention. Johnson hopes to make the clinic a regular, monthly event.

"I see so many people out walking and doing different activities here that I think there are a lot of opportunities for outdoor exercise in FishHawk, as opposed to other developments in the area," said Johnson, a mother who took part in Stroller Strides classes before moving to Tampa in 2007.

"I want to be able to let people take advantage of the outdoor experiences this area has to offer, so I've added the Saturday classes."

In addition, in January, Stroller Strides partnered with "Moms Rock Tampa" -- an esteem- and confidence-building organization for mothers - to acknowledge mothers who achieved New Year's resolutions for 2008. That class included a goal-setting workshop and was conducted to the sounds of rock music.

All of the new activities have helped encourage new mothers to join in the fitness fun. After Channing Williamson finished a set of stretching exercises during a Jan. 23 Stroller Strides class, she pushed the stroller holding her now six-month-old son, Drew, toward a grassy, workout area.

Williamson, who moved to FishHawk from Cary, N.C., in July 2008, said besides the exercises and tips, the new Saturday and Walkers-Plus classes would help her build friendships.

"This has given me a great social network. I have a great group of friends here," she said. "You get back in shape really fast, too."

In addition to FishHawk Ranch, Johnson conducts Stroller Strides Tampa classes in Flatwoods Park in New Tampa, Old Hyde Park Village in South Tampa, the Shops of Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel and at the Brandon Parkway at the entrance to the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

To help run Stroller Strides Tampa, Johnson employs four instructors - Carmen Hamrick, Sara Holt, Athena Reed and Betsy Wilson - to help lead fitness classes around the area.

For information, call (813) 952-7277 or see strollerstrides.com.

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