Catonsville mom Gretchen Shuey turns exercise time into play time with the help of her workout partner, 3-month-old McKinley Bolton. (Staff photo by Drew Anthony Smith)
Kate Blankenship has the abdomen you dream about — the flat, toned one that doesn’t look like it’s ever been tempted by chocolate or stretched by pregnancy.
Quite frankly, the other moms at the mall with Blankenship this particular morning say, if she wasn’t so nice, if she wasn’t trying to help them get skinny and in shape, they’d be more than a little jealous.
“You want to hate her,” Liz Minkin-Friedman, a mother of three from Pikesville, says, laughing as she tries to keep up with the Stroller Strides class that Blankenship leads.
Held in at local malls in the winter and in parks during the warmer months, the Stroller Strides classes include the elements that health experts say make for a successful postpartum work-out: strength training, aerobic exercise, nutrition education and accommodations for the baby — whether it’s including the child into the exercise routine or arranging for someone else to watch the little one.
“If someone is late, or someone needs to pull off to feed or change a diaper, that’s fine,” says Blankenship, who has a 13-month-old daughter. “We’re flexible. We’re moms.”
These days, mothers have more choices than ever when it comes time to get back in shape. Whether you’re looking to buy an exercise video or sign up for a mommy and me yoga class, there are many options for those trying to fit into pre-pregnancy jeans.
As if the jeans weren’t incentive enough, studies have shown that moms who participate in fitness programs experience less postpartum depression and better bonding with their babies, says Ann Israel, a Baltimore-area Lamaze and yoga instructor.
And, Israel says, “This is a great time to get into the habit of exercising. A lot of women make changes in their life to be healthier when they have a child, starting when they get pregnant.”
Beginning an exercise program after having a baby should start with the all-clear from your doctor, typically at six weeks, health experts say.
If the baby is going with you, whether it’s for a walk or to a class, the six weeks allows the infant’s immune system to mature a bit. You’ll also want to check with your baby’s pediatrician.
With the erratic sleeping schedule typical of the first few weeks, or for those back to working full-time, it may make sense to arrange to meet up with friends several times a week for a walk or jog, or to consider a program designed for exercising at home. Like mommy and me classes, some videos incorporate babies and children into the workout.
In some workouts, the baby replaces a weight. In others, the babies and moms are dance partners. And in some video programs, the babies and moms do stretching and gentle yoga together.
While some moms may prefer the privacy and convenience of at-home workouts, others may find that they want the structure of a gym or a class where they workout without their baby in tow. And that’s okay too.
“You may need a break,” says Israel.
Many gyms, including the YMCA, offer child care for older babies and children.
Israel offers a class for moms and babies in Catonsville that incorporates some yoga poses. But since infants are so famously distracting, it’s difficult to get to the more difficult poses and mediation.
“I’ve started calling the class, New Mom Support and Stretching,” Israel says. “But it’s a great social outlet, a way for moms to be with other people.”
The chance to talk with grown-ups and be able to share — or vent — feelings about parenting draws many moms to Stroller Strides.
“I love the camaraderie of the moms,” says Minkin-Friedman, who pushes her 7-month-old daughter in the Stroller Strides class at Towson Town Center mall. “You can ask, ‘Is this normal?’”
As if on cue, Kirsten Paust, mother of a 5 1/2 month old from Mount Washington, arrives and announces by way of greeting, “We’re on solids.”
This starts a group discussion of baby food, while the moms stretch. Later, over lunges and modified push-ups, the conversation turns to a Pay-Per-View boxing match and Michael Phelps’ love life.
“Current events,” Minkin-Friedman deadpans.
The group also meets for moms night out events and playgroups.
In class, to keep the babies entertained, the moms sing the alphabet song while using resistance rubber bands, sprint across the corridor in front of Nordstrom, and skip around the rotunda. Later, they do the Hokey, Pokey. The toddlers in the group look slightly amused.
This isn’t all fun and games, though. The hour-long workouts burn between 500 and 1,000 calories, Blankenship estimates.
“I talk to other moms, and they say, ‘Oh, you just walk with a stroller?’ But it’s hard. She pushes you,” says Audrey Kennedy, a Towson mom with a 2-year-old and 6-month-old.
Making the effort to exercise regularly tends to make women more aware of what they’re eating too, health experts say.
“When you start doing this, you look at things differently,” says Kennedy, who has taken Blankenship’s advice of eating breakfast and has found that she isn’t as tempted by calorie-laden treats after workouts. “It’s not worth running up all of these stairs.”
Books to check out:
Lean Mommy: Bond with Your Baby and Get Fit with the Stroller Strides Program
By Lisa Druxman
Lose Your Mummy Tummy
By Julie Tupler and Jodie Gould
Lose That Baby Fat!: Bouncing Back the First Year after Having a Baby — A Mom Friendly Fitness Program
By LaReine Chabut
Body After Baby: A Simple, Healthy Plan to Lose Your Baby Weight Fast
By Jackie Keller
Classes
Howard County
1-800-595-6983
Baltimore City
1-800-733-8718
Baltimore County
1-800-972-0524
Anne Arundel County
1-888-797-1747
Stroller Babies(sponsored by JCC of Greater Baltimore)
410-356-5200, Ext. 347
Tips:
√ Get your doctor’s okay before beginning a postpartum workout regimen, and check with your child’s pediatrician if you’ll be involving your baby.
√ Make sure your child has sufficient neck and head control before using a jogging stroller (about five to six months, depending on terrain).
√ Keep expectations realistic. Yes, there are mothers who leave the maternity ward looking fit, but for most women, it takes several months and sop after the first time. It may take your baby time to adjust to being in a stroller for an hour or to being in a yoga studio or exercise class.
√ Find a workout buddy. The encouragement will help you stick with it.
√ Remember that exercising helps you stay healthy for your baby and family. (fitting into your skinny jeans is just a bonus.)
DVDs to rent:
> Jennifer Gianni’s Fusion Pilates — Exercise with Baby
> Mommy Baby Body Builders
> Mambo Moms: Fitness Fun for Baby & Mom
> Leisa Hart’s FitMama: Postnatal Workout/ FitMama & Me
> Sara Holliday’s Stroller Workout for Moms
Sources: Dr. Charles T. Cappetta of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kate Blankenship and Stephanie McWil