A STROLL IN THE PARK.Byline: Story by Sandra Barrera Staff Writer On a recent morning, 31-year-old Stephanie Zimmerman, a stay-at-home mom from Woodland Hills, ran her son's baby jogger up a path in Serrania Park to a shady spot for a quick game of peek-a-boo. Only it wasn't really. Zimmerman and about six other moms with babies who were attending a StrollerFit class had added several repetitions of leg- and glute-toning squats to the mix. Plie. And up. ``Peek-a-boo!'' Scenes like this are becoming a familiar sight at parks, malls and downtowns all across the U.S. as more new moms get back in shape with their babies in tow. The latest craze? Exercising with tots strapped strapped adj. Informal In financial need: We are strapped for cash right now. strapped Adjective strapped for Slang in their strollers. Parking their buggies in the shade of a tree, the strollercizers, most of whom are in their 20s and 30s, turn to face their bundles of joy and sing ``Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'' to the pitter-patter of their jogging jogging Aerobic exercise involving running at an easy pace. Jogging (1967) by Bill Bowerman and W.E. Harris boosted jogging's popularity for fitness, weight loss, and stress relief. feet. They count jumping jacks not by numbers, but by singing the ABCs as babies watch in utter rapture. Some grin, some squeal, some sit back to enjoy the ride they're about to take, as disco thumps thumps exaggerated expiratory movement and effort without necessarily any increase in respiratory rate nor evidence of dyspnea. diaphragmatic thumps see synchronous diaphragmatic flutter. from the boombox inside instructor Melissa Thomas' own three-wheel buggy Refers to software that contains many flaws. Many in the software industry swear that bugs are inevitable, and perhaps they are right. As long as we work in the competitive, pressure-cooker environment of our high-tech world, products will more often than not be developed too hastily and . ``That ponytail should be shaking, moms,'' Thomas calls out as participants power-walk up the hill to the next strength-training station, resistance bands dangling from their strollers. Yoga yoga (yō`gə) [Skt.,=union], general term for spiritual disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism, and throughout S Asia that are directed toward attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance, suffering, and rebirth. mats and small Pilates balls are tucked inside stroller baskets, and water bottles, which will soon be needed, sit in cup holders. This 60-minute group workout Workout Informal repayment or loan forgiveness arrangement between a borrower and creditors. workout 1. The process of a debtor's meeting a loan commitment by satisfying altered repayment terms. is no walk in the park. After warm-up, moms power their strollers to strategic posts for jumping, lunging, squatting squatting /squat·ting/ (skwaht´ing) a position with hips and knees flexed, the buttocks resting on the heels; sometimes adopted by the parturient at delivery or by children with certain types of cardiac defects. , pushing, pulling, crunching moves -- a difficult workout with or without child. ``I'm not a mother yet, but this is how I really stay in shape,'' says Thomas, who has been leading daily workouts at Serrania Park for the last six months. On the days when it's extremely hot, too windy or simply raining, she takes the class indoors to the Topanga Plaza, where she adds laps up and down the stairs Adv. 1. down the stairs - on a floor below; "the tenants live downstairs" downstairs, on a lower floor, below to the already-strenuous workouts, no two of which are ever the same. ``I'm always introducing new exercises to the class to keep the workout fresh and exciting,'' Thomas says Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist and carcinologist. He was a taxonomist and is often considered to be the founder of descriptive entomology in the United States and one of the founding fathers of the . ``It's so important to me that every mom, regardless of fitness level, is challenged and motivated.'' Zimmerman, a former soccer player, has been with the program for four months. She started with two days a week, but with 8-month-old Troy now sleeping through the night, she gets workouts in more often. ``It's been amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. because I'm working out and losing the baby weight,'' says Zimmerman, who has seen her old figure come back. ``But it's also been a nice connection with other moms. We've really bonded.'' That's one of the draws of the program, whose offshoot StrollerFriends brings classmates Classmates can refer to either:
The 19 Stroller Strides moms power-walking through Oak Park Community Park's rolling hills Rolling hills are like a mountain chain, only a "hill chain" of hills that roll on and on continually. You will often find them in between plains and mountains, near major rivers, or randomly anywhere. The only places without rolling hills are deserts and flood plains. on a recent morning regularly get together for everything from pool parties to birthday classes. After their workout, they congregate con·gre·gate tr. & intr.v. con·gre·gat·ed, con·gre·gat·ing, con·gre·gates To bring or come together in a group, crowd, or assembly. See Synonyms at gather. adj. 1. Gathered; assembled. 2. near the picnic tables A picnic table (or sometimes a picnic bench) is a modified table with benches expressly for the purpose of eating a meal outdoors (picnicking). In the past, picnic tables were typically made of wood, but modern tables can be made out of anything from recycled plastic to and catch up. ``There is a lot of socializing,'' says Kristina Millar, 29, a franchise owner and instructor for Stroller Strides, founded in 2001 as the first program of its kind nationwide. ``But you get the workout and the greatest part is you help set a good example for your child.'' She's seen it with her 2-year-old daughter, Kaya, who has been known to turn a summer outing to the park with grandma into a full-on Stroller Strides workout. `She makes her do push-ups and tricep dips,'' Millar says, adding that, all the while, her daughter is shouting encouragements like ``Keep going! Kick it out!'' ``It's so cute,'' she adds. ``So, it's just so neat to see that and to know the impact I'm making on her for the rest of her life. This is just what you do, and this is good for you.'' And it's fun. After warm-ups, moms push their strollers up a trail, through a parking lot and down to the duck pond A duck pond is a pond for ducks and other water birds. Often such ponds are artificial and ornamental in nature, in public parks for example. Sometimes they may be less ornamental, in a farmyard for example. Some duck ponds are purposefully built for the shooting of duck. for jumping jacks. Millar lures the birds to the shore with feed, to the delight of the babies. The moms then power-walk to a trail on the other side of the parking lot and partner up for resistance-band work. A few babies start to complain. It's hot and bright. As Millar leads the moms through ``Row, Row, Row Your Boat,'' all the babies hush. ``They love the singing,'' Millar says. ``We always say, `It's fitness for mom and fun for baby.' '' Sandra Barrera, (818) 713-3728 sandra.barrera(at)dailynews.com Where to find stroller workouts Here's a selection of classes. STROLLERFIT: Don't make the mistake one mom did recently when she showed up in flip-flops and jeans thinking StrollerFit moms walk. This 60-minute workout under the instruction of Melissa Thomas is intense, from warm-up to cool-down, no matter what your fitness level. It's also a lot of fun. Thomas' class meets at Serrania Park, 20865 Wells Drive, Woodland Hills, 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday unless it's hot out. Then it's off to the Westfield Topanga Westfield Topanga, formerly known as the Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga and more commonly known to locals as the Topanga Mall or Topanga Plaza, is a two-story shopping mall consisting of 230 tenants spread across three sections. Plaza, so be sure to check the Web site often for location change. Monthly passes, $89, are available for unlimited classes. Moms can also choose the 15-class package for $195 (valid for 20 weeks) or pay as they go at $15 a pop. There is a one-time $64 enrollment fee that includes a StrollerFit kit -- resistance band and tube, water bottle, mesh bag and stroller tag. The deluxe de·luxe also de luxe adj. Particularly elegant and luxurious; sumptuous: deluxe accommodations; a de luxe automobile. adv. $119 enrollment package comes with a StrollerFit kit, plus a mat and balls. First-time participants can reserve their free class by calling (818) 631-1257 or e-mailing Thomas at Melissa.Thomas@strollerfit.com. For information on this and other locations, go to www.strollerfit.com or call (866) 222-9348. STROLLER STRIDES: Join Kristina Millar and her Oak Park moms for a free ``Open House'' class 9 a.m. Wednesday as they celebrate Stroller Strides' fifth anniversary at 5600 Hollytree Drive, Oak Park. Also that morning, new moms can take advantage of a one-day-only special with savings of up to $60 on registration fees and classes. Regular monthly memberships are $55 for unlimited classes and include a welcome bag, with two exercise tubes. There is also a one-time $75 registration fee. Moms can also pay $15 for single classes, $100 for ten classes per four-month period or $195 for up to three classes a week for the next three months. For information on this location or to find the location nearest you, go to www.strollerstrides.com or call (866) 348-4666 (FIT-4MOM). Baby Boot Camp Software from Apple that enables an Intel x86-based Macintosh to host the Windows XP operating system. Boot Camp is used to divide the hard disk into Windows and Mac partitions, to install the necessary drivers and to create a dual boot environment. is coming soon to Valencia; this stroller-fitness program helps moms get into shape and spend time with baby. The first class is free. Information: www.babybootcamp.com. -- S.B. CAPTION(S): 5 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) ohhh baby! Stroller exercise gives moms a real workout (2 -- 4 -- color) Moms work out with their babies at Serrania Park in Woodland Hills during a recent StrollerFit session. (5 -- color) Kristi Even works out with weighted balls during a StrollerFit class at Serrania Park as daughter Taylor, 9 months, works out with a water bottle. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: Where to find stroller workouts (see text) |
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