TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Get The Stroller Rolling

ADVERTISEMENT

By KENNETH KNIGHT

kknight@tampatrib.com

Published: January 14, 2009

NEW TAMPA - An exercise program that aims to get new moms out of the house and on the road to fitness has launched two new locations.

Natalie Johnson, the new franchise owner of Stroller Strides Tampa, is expanding the business to Flatwoods Park in New Tampa and Old Hyde Park Village in South Tampa this month, the time of year when getting fit is at the top of most "to do" lists.

Classes began at both locations last week.
Stroller Strides is an outdoor, exercise training program that allows moms to interact with their babies during the workout.

The hourlong class incorporates the use of strollers and resistance bands with muscle-strengthening exercises to help tone the body, improve cardiovascular activity and increase flexibility.

Training sessions at Flatwoods Park on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard will be on Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. Old Hyde Park Village classes are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9 a.m.

In addition to the new locations, Stroller Strides Tampa also offers classes at the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, FishHawk Ranch in Lithia and the Brandon Parkway near the entrance to the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway.

"We sing a lot of children's songs and do exercises," Johnson said. "It's a very interactive class."

The program incorporates jumping and squatting exercises to increase the heart rate and burn calories.

The training works well with children songs such as "Ten Little Piggies."

"We jump, grab the baby's toes and say one little piggy, and repeat," Johnson said with a laugh.

Classes are open to anyone, but most participants are mothers with infants and toddlers, pregnant women and some with older children.

"We have some moms who like it so much that they stick around and have class using an empty stroller," Johnson said.

She is one of those moms.

Johnson, who has been involved in physical fitness training for 24 years, said she took part in a few Stroller Strides classes before she moved to Tampa two years ago.

"As a new mom, I was getting a lot of questions from other new moms about nutrition, fitness and how to incorporate their children into their fitness program," she said.

Johnson bought the franchise in December and hired four instructors - Carmen Hamrick, Sara Holt, Athena Reed and Betsy Wilson - to help her lead the fitness classes. She also owns Fit Chick Enterprises, a local company that caters to women seeking help with weight training, stress management and nutrition.

She is designing the Stroller Strides franchise to fit the needs of working and single moms as well, including plans to add an evening class and more Saturday sessions this spring.

Beginning in March, Saturday classes will be offered at Flatwoods Park and FishHawk Ranch and evening classes in Brandon. There also will be a class for moms without strollers.

Brooke Watson, a mother of two who lives in Riverview, said she splits time attending Stroller Strides classes in Brandon and at FishHawk Ranch.

She started attending in October 2007 when her oldest daughter, Jenna, was 14 months old. Watson now has a 10-month-old daughter, Reese. They are a fixture at Stroller Strides classes.

Watson said she loves the planned activities and children songs because it keeps the children entertained while the moms work out.

It has paid off. Watson said she weighs 128 pounds, dropping 40 pounds since Reese was born.

"I like the interaction with the other moms," Watson said. "We have play dates for the children every month."

The former health and physical education teacher, who is now a stay-at-home mom, said the monthly Moms Night Out gives her husband, Mark, an opportunity to bond with the girls.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Stroller Strides Tampa

CLASSES START: 9 a.m.

WHERE AND DAYS: Flatwoods Park - Tuesdays, Fridays; Old Hyde Park Village - Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel - Mondays, Wednesdays; FishHawk Ranch - Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; Brandon Parkway - Tuesdays, Thursdays

COST: $55 per month, with a one-time $75 membership fee. Individuals may also purchase a 10 Class Pass, which is $110 for 10 classes, or a Bi-Class pass, which is two classes per week for two months for $125. Both are good at any location.

INFORMATION: Call Natalie Johnson at (813) 952-7277 or visit www.strollerstrides.com.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Stroller Strides Tampa

CLASSES START: 9 a.m.

WHERE AND DAYS: Flatwoods Park - Tuesdays, Fridays; Old Hyde Park Village -- Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays; The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel - Mondays, Wednesdays; FishHawk Ranch -- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; Brandon Parkway - Tuesdays, Thursdays

COST: $55 per month, with a one-time $75 membership fee. Individuals may also purchase a 10 Class Pass, which is $110 for 10 classes, or a Bi-Class pass, which is two classes per week for two months for $125. Both are good at any of the locations.

INFORMATION: Natalie Johnson, (813) 952-7277; or visit www.strollerstrides.com

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT