My first post!

This is my first post on the blog for Stroller Strides of Springfield! I guess I will tell you about myself and why I absolutely love Stroller Strides!
As an undergrad, I thought I wanted to go into corporate wellness. So, I have a B.S. in Business Administration with a Health & Exercise Science minor. I had also gotten my national group fitness instructor certification while an undergrad. However, before my senior year, I decided that I wanted to go into public administration instead. So, I let my fitness certification expire and went and got a Masters in Public Administration. After graduating, I worked three years in public finance and then we had our first baby! I couldn't leave him with someone else, so I quit my job and stayed home.
I had gained quite a bit of weight with my pregnancy and wanted to get back in shape. Up until my mid-twenties I had never had to work very hard to stay at a healthy size. I was always pretty active in dance and aerobics, though. After the baby, I found myself at home and out of shape. I bought the post-natal workout DVD's and thought that would surely be the way to go. I soon found out that making myself workout at home was not going to work for me. The baby needed me or there were dishes to wash or laundry to be done.
I started looking into mommy and me fitness programs and found there were none in the Springfield area. I was disappointed, but then I started getting excited! I could bring a program to Springfield! I looked at different options, but Stroller Strides stood out high above any others. I signed on and started training and studying for my national certification. I took and passed my American Council on Exercise Group Fitness Instructor exam in mid-November. Things were looking good for a January start. Then, in late November, we got a huge surprise...we found out we were expecting again! My morning (noon and night) sickness set the opening back until late March/early April.
Stroller Strides has been running classes in Springfield since then! I am amazed at all of the benefits it offers to me as a mom. The best part is that my son comes with me and I get to interact with him while working out. Also, he's meeting other children and learning about physical activity. After just a week or two of class, we were at home and he started doing push-ups against the wall and counting! One of the best things for me as a stay at home mom is the interaction with other moms - adult conversation, yea!!
Another great part about Stroller Strides is the Luna Moms Club, powered by Stroller Strides. I'm meeting some great moms and Brighton is getting to know their wonderful children. The kiddos get to play and the moms get to chat a bit.

Stroller Strides classes are offered MWF at 9am at Battlefield Mall. Click the link at the right to get more information.

Luna Moms Club is free to join and offers Friday playgroups, a monthly Moms Night Out, and a quarterly Mommies with a Mission event. Check out our meetup.com site for details.