Stroller Fitness at the Clark YMCA
By Grace Labbe, Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer

Being a mom is the best and hardest job I have ever had. Everyday is different with many joys and challenges. Most of the time, I am so busy taking care of the kids, the house, the bills, work and miscellaneous errands that I forget about taking care of myself. I hear this a lot when talking to other moms. There is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. Because we are so tired from everything else we do during the day, exercise just gets pushed further and further down the "To Do" list. We tell ourselves that we will start exercising tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes, there are other things that come up.

If you are a new mom, you know that pregnancy puts a lot of strain on the body including softening and stretching our joint and connective tissues, elevated heart rate and stretching abdominal muscles. Postpartum exercise should start soon after giving birth. Getting back to that pre-pregnancy weight after child birth can be difficult, but it can be done. You should start out slowly with simple moves and gradually progress to more strenuous ones. Exercise is not only great for losing those extra pregnancy pounds, but it may also help women with postpartum depression (baby blues).

The Clark YMCA is offering a new class on the outdoor track this spring for moms with infants and toddlers. This class offers an opportunity for moms to lose those last few pounds of baby weight, while getting into a fitness routine. Enjoy the outdoors, meet other moms and get a great cardiovascular and toning workout while learning fun exercise moves for you and baby.

The Stroller Fitness class will run from April 7-June 14 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:15-11 am. Equipment required: Baby, Stroller, front carrier, sunscreen, blanket, towel or mat big enough for mom and baby, weights or bands (provided by instructor) and water. No class if it is raining or snowing since class will be on the Clark YMCA outdoor track.

Insight of a Fitness Instructor
By Lori Gebo, Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer

My name is Lori, I am 41 years old, and began exercising at the Clark approximately four years ago. I started working out 1 hour per week, the main reason, to have a few moments to myself and to do something just for me. The first class I enrolled in was a step class and as I spent the entire hour looking at my feet, trying to catch up and feeling sick by the time we finished the abs segment I thought what am I doing, but I came back. I was determined to do something good for me, and as stubborn as I am to prove I could do it. Eventually one night a week became two, and then three. I was getting stronger and no longer felt as though I had two left feet. Moreover, I have struggled with an eating disorder most of my life, as early on as age 7, and I keep in mind at all times that the reason I exercise is to be healthier not to be thinner. We need balance in our lives, in all areas, which leads me to the next part of this story and why I now teach and take Yoga classes.

One day Veronika approached me about being an instructor for the Clark. At first I was apprehensive, with little to no self esteem I thought I don't think so. She asked me to think about it, and after consideration I figured, I'm here 3-4 days per week now, I could at least make a little extra money for something I'm already doing. Then she said "I would like you to get certified to teach Yoga." I laughed. I responded with I don't think you know me very well since I am a type A personality, and you want me to help people relax and be calm, yeah right. She was dead serious. After very careful thought I accepted and in one weekend my life changed profoundly! I have now been teaching for two years and love it more than any other class I have experienced. When I think back on the bottle of Tums it took to get through the first Yoga class I taught, I have grown mentally, emotionally and physically stronger with a confidence I didn`t realize I possessed. Veronika saw something in me that I never could or maybe would never have seen. She gave me the push I needed, with encouragement to help me become who I am at this moment. I am and always have been a very spiritual person, a giver more than a taker and an optimist, Yoga reinforces these qualities, helps me to be a better person for myself and others, and allows me to accept who and where I am in my life.

Our days are spent most often rushing around that we forget or do not even know who we are, and I tell you this from experience. So in closing, I am thankful for that first "Step" class I endured, and for Veronika. I invite you to experience Yoga, a place and a practice where one may find an inner quietness, and for that moment just be, without judgment.