Get Fit for 2014

It's that time of year again for another Get Fit Challenge! The following are the details about Get Fit for 2014!!!

Get Fit For 2014 is a 10 week program. In Savannah, it will start January 13^th and 14^th  and it will end on March 24th and 25th. In Columbus, it will start on February 3rd and 4th and will end on April 14th and 15th. 

It will include both a fitness assessment (during class time) and body composition assessment (before or after class) at the start and end of the program. The fitness assessment will include five different exercises that will be counted/timed.  The body composition assessment will use skinfold calipers on three locations on your body to distinguish percentage of body fat.

You will receive points in the following ways:

-Class attendance

-Improvement in fitness assessment

-Improvement in body composition assessment

-Whether you reached the fitness goal you set for yourself at the beginning

This year we will break up participants into two groups based on the initial assessment results. This will make it fair across the board and encourage everyone to compete against others who are at their same fitness level. Points will be tallied throughout the program and participants with the most points from each group at the end of the 10 weeks will receive gift card prizes!!

You will take a before/after picture at class at the start and end of the program so you can see how much the hard work payed off!

There is a $15 registration fee that will go up to $20 one week before the start of GFF2014. Payment can be made on the prices page of the SSM website. You have to be a member of SSM in order to participate in the GFF2013. But don’t worry, it’s easy to become a member! All you need to do is purchase a 1 month unlimited membership, 10 class pass, or 5 class pass. 

'Get Fit for 2014' will happen during regular class days and times. The fitness testing will take place on January 13^th and 14th and March 24th and 25^th during class time. The body composition testing will occur before or after class on those days. More detailed info on the body composition testing is to follow.

The GFF2014 assessment schedule for Columbus, GA is as follows: 

Lakebottom Park- Monday, February 3rd 9:30-10:30AM

Britt David Park- Tuesday, February 4th 9:30-10:30AM 

The GFF2014 assessment schedule for Savannah, GA is as follows:

Savannah (Forsyth Park)- Monday, January 13th 9:30-10:30AM 

Richmond Hill (JF Gregory Park)- Tuesday, January 14th 9:30-10:30AM

Pooler (Tom Triplett Park)- Thursday, January 16th 9:30-10:30AM 

You do not have to participate in the 'Get Fit For 2014' as a member of Stroller Strong Moms. It is your choice. Any questions, concerns, comments can be sent to info@strollerstrongmoms.com

The past two years of the Get Fit Challenge have been a GREAT success!! Moms lost noticeable amounts of body fat and improved tremendously in their fitness assessments. The results were extremely impressive!! The below photos show last year's top finishers in Columbus and Savannah. Moms lost as much as 15 pounds over the 10 weeks and many dropped body fat percentages by over 5% (which is SUPER impressive). 

2013 SSM Savannah Get Fit Challenge Winners 

2013 SSM Columbus Get Fit Challenge Winners

November Member of the Month

November Member of the Month... Bekah Miller!

My journey begins in Michigan; Corunna, Michigan to be exact.  I travelled a decent amount and went to college just south of Chicago at Olivet Nazarene University, but for the most part stayed in Corunna.  I have one brother who is five years younger than me.  He is good at everything…school, athletics, making friends, you name it.  I’ve always struggled with my weight and it never helped that I had a thin, fit brother who could run circles around me.

I followed my husband, Ben, to Columbus about 5 years ago.  When we met he was living in Charlotte, NC and I was living in Corunna.  He worked for a pharmaceutical company and was at a conference in Chicago.  My Aunt is a biochemist and was at the same conference, sitting right next to him.  She was forever trying to pawn me off on someone and he was the target that time.  Here we are…married 4 years, have 2 beautiful girls, Chloe and Piper (affectionately known as “The Pipe” because, well, she definitely has pipes), and a wonderful life in Columbus, Georgia.  Ben works for Synovus; he’s an IT Sourcing and Category Manager.  Basically, he negotiates IT contracts for Synovus.  This means we never pay full price for anything but we also have to read all the fine print on EVERYTHING….it’s a blessing and a curse really.  

Believe it or not. I’ve always liked to exercise but then would find reasons to quit.  My grandpa passed away the day after my 22 birthday and he was into bicycling.  My entire family is/was a cycling family and I have vivid memories of riding in a Burley with my snacks and baby doll, Emily.  After Grandpa passed away I got back into cycling as a way to feel close to him.  I lost 40 pounds and felt great!  I continued cycling until I moved to Columbus.  I’m not sure why I stopped…I guess I just did, again, and subsequently put all the weight back on.

I had a rough third trimester with Chloe and had to spend the last 3 months on bed rest because of high blood pressure.  I know that work caused most of this, but so did the extra weight.  In the end Chloe was an emergency C-Section with a very hard recovery, not only physically, but emotionally as well.   

I was introduced to Stroller Strong Moms in May of 2012 when Chloe was 6 months old.  I was so excited and nervous my first class.  Sara (Randolph) told me it was the hardest workout I was ever going to do and she was right.  I was very intimidated but went anyway and after the first class was hooked.  I couldn’t keep up, I looked ridiculous in my workout clothes, my C-Section incision ached, but OH MY WORD I had so much fun!  After a month of SSM we found out we were pregnant again.  I came to class religiously during my pregnancy…every day.  I felt so good through my whole pregnancy and continued to not be able to keep up and look ridiculous in my workout clothes.  But I was there!  With Piper being due April 12 I planned on March being my last month of SSM, but with KimKap working to shake that baby out it was a hard class with Brooke W. that pushed Piper to her limit.  I swear it was all the squats and my pregnant version of sprints that made her come March 29.  Yup…I was in class the day I gave birth, not on purpose though.  I had another emergency C-Section but this time had the easiest recovery imaginable.  I couldn’t wait to get out of bed and walk around the hospital and when we got home, I couldn’t wait to get outside and go for a walk.  We made a few appearances at SSM in April just to get out and get some air (no working out, yet) and finally gave in and started back the beginning of May.  My midwife was supportive even though I was only 4 weeks postpartum and I’ve been coming ever since.  

Admittedly, I haven’t lost the weight I’ve wanted to, or expected to really, but in the end, I don’t think that’s my goal.  My goal is to be the healthiest me I can be and show my daughters that women are supposed to be strong and healthy and that doesn’t always mean skinny with thighs that don’t touch.  I was so excited to run my first race EVER this month as part of a relay team in the Soldier’s Marathon.  Now I’m training to run a half marathon…who would have thought?  I know this is because of SSM and I never would have done anything like this without the support and encouragement from fellow mommies on the same journey.