LEAGUE CITY — At Walter Hall Park last week, there was the arresting sight: A speeding baby sitting upright against the breeze in his three-wheeled, made-for-speed jogging stroller.
As his mother ran for the finish line, a second mother-child pair pulled alongside and threatened to overtake.
A good-natured rally ensued as a half-dozen other new mothers ascended into view over a small rise with their own offspring on wheels. Hot on the chase.
The entire assembly rounded the asphalt oval, flashed under the canopy of old oaks and then executed a sweeping turn onto the ankle-high grass just off the small duck pond. Moving with military precision, they pulled to a stop.
The kids were grinning.
Then the team formed a wide arc around its leader, the only one to be sans baby, and began a close order exercise drill to the sound of an unseen boom box.
All this represents an activity known as StrollerFit — one of several new pay-to-exercise plans that have been spreading nationwide in an effort to fight postpartum sag.
These franchises seek to extract new moms from couches and cubicles back into suburban wilds, where they can regain muscle tone without leaving their babies behind.
Unlike health clubs, there’s no need for baby-sitters and no separation from one’s recent offspring. Plus, baby gets to experience the rush of wind in his or her face, the excitement of the chase and, perhaps, the thrill of victory.
Other franchises nationwide go by names like Strollercize and Baby Boot Camp.
New mom Kimberly Hall of Texas City tried StrollerFit’s indoor class at the Clear Lake Recreation Center.
“I have struggled with my weight for my whole life. And pregnancy, obviously, does crazy things to you,” Hall said. “So when my daughter was 3 months old, I looked for a place she could be with me when I got in shape. I never thought I could enjoy exercising.”
Hall said the program had helped her lose weight and keep it off.
She said even though the exercise was extensive and raised a sweat, working out with her baby wasn’t boring.
“The 55-minute class goes by in a flash,” she said. “My baby loves it. Near the end of the class, we put the kids on a big mat where they can play together and interact.”
Susanna Blanchard, who runs the local franchise, didn’t start out to be a business owner.
“My husband accepted a new job, and we moved from Baton Rouge, (La.,) where I was attending StrollerFit,” she said.
“I checked to see if there were any classes in this area, and I couldn’t find anything, so I decided to open one myself.
Losing weight after giving birth has been an age-old problem, and exercise remains the best option, along with a sensible diet. But often, neither are viewed as being doable, much less enjoyable.
One aim of these commercial boot camps is to make this process both convivial and fun.
“We meet the needs of all fitness levels and incorporate music, nursery rhymes and games into class to make it fun for both mom and baby,” Blanchard said. “StrollerFit is a total body workout. While building your ‘mommy muscles,’ you are also incorporating cardio, strength and resistance.”
Gary Hankins, chairman of department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said most new moms can begin exercising soon after birth.
“It’s an incredibly good thing,” he said. “The faster someone burns off the extra weight that most new moms carry, the better. But they should increase their activity level gradually.”
Doctors offer individual guidelines and prescribe the amount of recovery time before aerobic exercise but, generally, the recommendations for rest range from only a few days to three to four weeks.
“If exercise isn’t hurting you, you can do almost anything that doesn’t produce pain,” he said.
Liz Schreiter of Clear Lake has been training with her 20-month-old toddler for several months but, initially, she was skeptical.
“I thought it sounded like a pretty wild time,” she said. “I had tried my local gym, but my daughter hated their day care, and it was a nightmare. Now she likes the floor exercises and plays while we’re in a circle around them sweating.”
Some of the moms also said they felt less self-conscious at the shared sessions than they would if they exercised alone at a health club surrounded by Spandex-sporting singles.
