Pram Aerobics

If you're a brand-new mom, the spring season is an idyllic moment for first leisurely strolls with your baby, first picnics with your baby, and first pushes on the swings in the park.

"It's good for Shelby to see that Mommy makes fitness a part of her everyday life."

But all this coincides with that pre-summer challenge of getting back in swimsuit shape. And that might be difficult if you have a baby in tow.

In an effort to meld parenting and fitness, more and more moms (and dads, too) are working to include their children in their exercise regimes. The trick? Using strollers for resistance.

Amy Clay of Burlington, KY, began taking StrollerFit classes last September, right around the time her daughter Shelby turned one. StrollerFit classes are now offered in 150 locations around the country. She was quickly hooked . . . and so was Shelby.

"The other day at home, she put her doll in a stroller and started running really fast with it while yelling 'choo choo!' and that's exactly what we do in class!" says Clay, 33.

Enter your typical StrollerFit class and you'll see a dozen moms with their children nestled in sturdy strollers (Clay uses a Maclaren Mac 3 Jogging Stroller, which she recommends).

Sample moves include Peek-a-Boo Squats, where you play peek-a-boo while doing a squat series, and Kiss-Your-Baby Push-ups, where an infant is put on the floor and receives a kiss in between push-ups. Most moves are done while singing such songs as "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Twinkle Twinkle."

"People think it's easy, but it's not," says Clay. "It's a really intense workout."

(Those who'd rather eschew the class scene can try the routines at home, using various StrollerFit products and DVDs).

It can be a workout for the kids, too. At the end of the classes, the kids are invited out of their strollers to try to do push-ups with the adults.

"The idea is being fit as a family," explains Clay. "I think introducing my daughter to fitness at this early age is just so critical. It's good for Shelby to see that Mommy makes fitness a part of her everyday life. I want her to grow up knowing that exercise is important and that it's something you can do with people you love."

Posted on May 01, 2006