Awesome Moms at Stroller Strides!

The Little Black Dress Club is hoppin'. We've been adding numbers to our group and it's been a lot of fun getting to know the new moms and their kids. Welcome ladies!!

Props to the moms who are jammin' in the plank challenges we've been having. It's awesome to see the progress being made. Go Girls Go!!

As we head into the last week of October and move into November it's exciting to see all the moms getting stronger, feeling healthy and moving forward with positive attitudes. I am looking forward to a great holiday season with you all. Thanks for showing up to class each day and working so hard. You are really inspiring!

Rock on Mommies!

The Little Black Dress Club is in full swing at Stroller Strides

WOW! What a week. We started the Little Black Dress Club at Stroller Strides this week and I am so proud of all the moms participating. They really stepped up to the challenge with our Ab Intensive sessions. I heard some grumbling about sore abs - woo woo. We also had several graduates, in the first week, from wall sits to planks in our Challenge session.

Congrats to Bonnie, Kim & Pippin! Double congrats to our plank challenge mamas who are making great strides in their times. Megan, Melissa & Shellie are improving by leaps and bounds in holding their planks. Way to go girls!

Thanks to Megan who suggested we play the same song every time we do our challenge in class so everyone can see how far they are getting by the gauging their progress against the song. We are definitely bringing "Sexy Back"!!!

What a great bunch of gals. I'm so proud of their hard work and dedication to making changes in their outlook and their bodies - just in time for Little Black Dress season.

Merry Christmas to us!

Little Black Dress Club

The holidays are just around the corner. Before you know it the invitations will start arriving for parties and dinners. Are you ready to don your Little Black Dress?

To be totally prepared this year at Stroller Strides we're starting up the Little Black Dress Club. This club will be active from now until the end of the year. All you have to do is set your goal and participate in the club events.

Goal: Your goal can be anything you want it to be. Ideally it would be a dress, picture of a dress or size you want to fit into. But there are no limits so strive away!

Club: For the month of October I will be offering an Ab Intensive. We will have our regular class but at the end we will do stretching then abs for an additional 15 minutes. You are free to leave at anytime but if you really want to work your core then you won't want to miss this extra time.


Wall sit / Plank Challenge: During October I will be hosting a wall sit or plank challenge. Pick your nemesis and conquer it. We will take 5 minutes at each class to work on your choice. The goal is to be able to do one of these for 5 minutes without resting. Push yourself and join in the fun!

I will also keep offering our Butte Climb class. However, so that I can spend some quality time with my kids I am moving the class to Friday's at 10 am (see NOTE for exceptions.) This will be weather permitting.
NOTE: We will walk the butte at 10 am on Friday, Oct. 3, 10, 17 & 31. We will also walk on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and NOT on Friday, Oct. 24 because I have a prior commitment that day.

Don't miss this opportunity to shine this holiday season. You can do this!

The Perfect Smoothie - Stroller Strides Style!

At Stroller Strides we often talk in our class about recipes, favorite snacks, food for our kids and how to be healthy.

We all agree that getting to class in the morning can be a challenge, especially for moms with multiple children. Here is a great way to get your mommy nutrition and be fueled up for class:

The Perfect Smoothie!

1/2 cup berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries - can be fresh or frozen)

1 small banana, peeled

2/3 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled (OJ also works)

1/2 cup ice

2 Tbsp. low-fat plain yogurt (I like vanilla too)

3 tsp. wheat germ or flax seed meal

Optional:

1 tsp. honey

1 scoop protein powder (I always add this!)

Put ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. YUMMY!

What's your favorite way to fuel up?

Our FREE Preview Week is coming at Stroller Strides

During the spring I held a FREE Preview Week for moms. It was very well attended and everyone seemed to have a really great time. So, I'm doing it again. Here is the info and YOU are invited!

Summer is on it's way out & that means the holidays are just around the corner. You can be ready to wear that Little Black Dress this season and we're here to help.

If you have been putting off trying a Stroller Strides class or have joined us before but would like to give it another try, please come help us kick off our FALL FITNESS FRENZY.

Stroller Strides of Bend is offering a FREE Preview Week - September 15 - 18. Classes start at 9:15 am at the foot of Pilot Butte. All fitness levels are welcome and we'd love to see you there.

All you need to bring is yourself, your baby & your stroller. We'll lead you the rest of the way with a fun, full body workout.

On Monday, Wednesday & Thursday we'll use the walking track at the bottom of the hill. On Tuesday, September 16 we will be walking UP the butte with a mini workout at the top.

Come one day or come all 4 - It's FREE!

This program is suitable for pregnant moms and mommies who are at least 6 weeks postpartum.

If you have any questions, please email me at: debis@strollerstrides.net

See you there!

Love Fries? Try this one for a healthy alternative

We at Stroller Strides of Bend love fries. But it's hard to justify a large order of fries after a great climb up Pilot Butte or a killer arm workout. So, here's a healthy alternative that everyone can enjoy. It's especially great this time of year when you or your neighbors might be swimming in zucchini.

Bon Appetit!


ZUCCHINI FRIES

Preheat Oven to 425

Cut zucchini into 3 inch sticks.
Whisk an egg white and 1/4 cup milk
Combine 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Dip zucchini sticks in egg mixture then roll in breadcrumb mixture.

Coat a baking sheet w/ cooking spray and place zucchini on sheet

Bake for 25 - 30 min or until golden brown. Makes about 32 fries

Stroller Strides - It's better than a bag of rice

I came across a blog the other day for a guy whose wife recently had a baby. He is also a personal trainer. In it he lamented at the "massive deficit in the fitness programs being given to post-partum and pregnant mothers right now."

HEL-LO? I'm not even going to go there. Anyway, he had a video on his blog showing what he calls "5 truly functional movements a mother must have in order to take care of her kids."

So I decided to take a look at his "functional movements." To be honest I couldn't finish watching it I was laughing so hard. In it he tells women to get a bag of rice - to represent the baby - and use it in all their movements.

Now I'm sure these are great exercises and to be honest the ones I saw are very familiar to me as a Stroller Strides instructor. But seriously! I'd much rather work out with the moms in my class and my kids than hang out alone in my living room with a bag of rice. So, for my money I'd say Stroller Strides is a much better deal than a 10 pound bag of rice from Costco (do they even sell a bag that small at Costco?)

Then it got even funnier. As I went to write this blog I was searching for pictures of bags of rice on google and came across this gem:

This picture was on a blog called Daddytypes.com. Here is the accompanying story:

To celebrate the birth of a baby in a way that makes it feel like the kid's right there in your arms, a rice shop in the southwestern Japanese city of Kita-Kyushu will send out a customized dakigokochi, a roughly baby-shaped bag of high-grade rice to everyone on your birth announcement list. The bag will be printed with the kid's picture, stats, and a greeting--and it will weigh the same as the kid did at birth.

A few final thoughts here:

1. Should I forward this information to Mr. Personal "Rice Bag" Trainer?

2. Beware Denver of Mr. Personal "Rice Bag" Trainer. He may try to lure your moms away with promises of "functional movements."

3. Do you think I can order a bag the size of a man with a picture of Brad Pitt on it?

Just wondering.


Stride On!