At Stroller Strides, These Moms Are Sweating It

Several Newport moms have found the solution to the challenge many women face after giving birth: finding time to exercise. Stroller Strides of Newport, owned and organized by Abby Rowe, caters to new and veteran moms alike, as long as one of their children is still stroller-bound.

The group is for socializing as well as working out. Classes allow the moms to get out and talk to their friends while doing group exercises using elastic tubing, wall sits and suicides. Moms interact with their children while exercising as well by singing songs like, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” while doing repetitions.

Rowe said the exercises are tailored to new moms. Being able to bring the kids along and interact with them instead of dropping them off at a gym daycare or finding a sitter is another added bonus, she said.

“It sets early on a really good example for them that exercise can be fun,” Rowe said.

Exercises can also be adapted for prenatal woman, who are also welcome to participate when they are pregnant, she said. Rowe, who also has a 2-year-old daughter, is able to teach the class while several months pregnant. Moms should wait until their six-week doctor's appointment after having a baby to start up Stroller Strides, she said.

“When I was pregnant with Adelaide, I was looking for a class to take,” she said. “The closest [Stroller Strides] was in Providence and that was too far. I thought, well, this would be a perfect thing for Newport.” She said she was inspired to organize the group after taking Stroller Strides classes in Connecticut. Rowe trained over the summer to learn how to teach the exercises and started hosting classes in October.

Most of the women who participate in Stroller Strides at the are from Newport. The moms who came to Wednesday morning's workout had varying degrees of experience, ranging from a month to several months.

Some women, like Kalee Thomas of Newport, sought out Stroller Strides after going to classes in other communities. “A lot of us come from military families,” Thomas said, who also participated in Stroller Strides while living in Camarillo, CA.  

Stroller Strides meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m. at the Boys and Girls Club. For more information visit their website or their Facebook page.