"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." -A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Day One...September 12th, 2011

Most of you already know, but it is with great sadness that I announce that my family and I are moving to Savannah, Georgia. Although we will only be a hop, skip and a jump away from Columbus, my heart truly hurts at the thought of leaving such an amazing group of moms and what we have established here. This past ten months has been such an awesome adventure and I could not have imagined how well received a stroller fitness class in Columbus, Georgia would be!! With what started as a group of 19 moms at the grand opening back in September has grown to a group of almost ONE HUNDRED moms who are dedicated to fit and healthy lifestyles! How amazing is that?! I have so much pride in this special group of moms, a pride that I will carry with me as we continue on this SSM journey.  Stroller Strong Moms, you have established yourselves in the community as a group of energetic, hard working, goal oriented, spirited and fit moms; moms who represent at class, at races, and around town in SLAM shirts with a sense of loyalty and pride for what we do. What we have is so special and the camaraderie among us is such an extraordinary thing. I have loved watching you team up in and out of class to push each other to reach goals you have set for yourselves. Not to mention all the amazing and lasting friendships that have been made as a result of SSM.

SLAM Representing at Scarlett Lilies 5K

Many of you have far surpassed the goals you set for yourself when you started, whether it was to become a 'runner', to lose weight, to gain muscle, to run a 5K, to give your kids an example to follow, to improve race times, or to simply become active, you all have done it!  I have no doubt that Stroller Strong Moms will continue to shine in Columbus, Georgia. We have an amazing team of instructors who are eager to teach. Kim, Jill, Rebecca and Julie are so excited to continue to help Stroller Strong Moms reach your health and fitness goals. They each bring something unique to the SSM team and they are ready to push you guys to new levels.

"How do you know you have won? When the energy is coming the other way and when your people are visibly growing individually and as a group."

— Sir John Harvey-Jones

A Record Tying Class of 34 Last Week

 This is no goodbye. As I will be just a car ride away, I intend to come back to visit from time to time to take or teach a class and visit with all of the veterans and new faces of Stroller Strong Moms. My first visit back is already planned! I will be back to Columbus on September 12th for the One Year Celebration Class and Grand Reopening of Stroller Strong Moms! There will be tons of prizes and giveaways. Also, Starting on September 12th, SSM will be adding two new classes on Tuesday morning and Saturday morning, and also shifting the Thursday night class to the morning so that SSM will have classes Monday thru Saturday morning!! I am currently looking into a location on the north end of town where two of the classes per week will be held. So not only will we be expanding the days SSM is offered, but also the location, so that SSM can help more and more moms to reach their goals! I am so excited about the future of Stroller Strong Moms. I know SSM of Columbus will be in great hands as my family heads out to Savannah. Anytime y'all are in Savannah, you better come check out your sister class, Stroller Strong Moms of Savannah!! I will miss seeing each and every one of you and all your little mini munchkins on a regular basis. I am looking forward to September 12th and the half marathons in Columbus AND Savannah in November! All I ask is that you keep working hard and pushing yourselves and each other and of course, above all, keep 'SLAM'ing!

"The final test of a leader is that (s)he leaves behind him(her) in other (wo)men, the conviction and the will to carry on."

— Walter Lippmann

Get Fit For 2012 Challenge was a success!!!

The Get Fit for 2012 Challenge took place from January 18th through March 28th. Seventeen Stroller Strong Moms participated in the challenge. The ladies were tested at the beginning and end of the Challenge in both a Fitness Assessment and a Body Composition Assessment. Throughout the Challenge, contenders received points for class attendance and how many times they were class MVP. At then end of the Challenge, the ladies received points depending upon how much they improved in their fitness assessments and body composition assessments. They also accumulated points for decreases in body fat percentage and whether or not they reached their fitness goal.  The points were calculated on a scale with the total amount of points listed below: 

Fitness Assessment times/reps Improvement: 20 Points
Decrease in Body Fat Percentage: 20 Points
Class Attendance Totals: 20 Points
Class MVP Totals: 10 Points
Fitness Goal Reached: 10 Points

Total Possible Points: 80

The points for each contender were calculated according to the scale and the GFF2012 winners were as follows:

3rd Place: TIE!!! Carly and Julie M
2nd Place: Rebecca
1st Place: ANDREA!!!

Honorable mentions to Lauren, Kate, and Ashley for coming in 4th, 5th and 6th.

More Recognitions: 
Body fat loss leaders: Casey S, Andrea, Carly, Kera
Weight loss leaders: Carly, Andrea, Lauren, Kera, Diane
Most classes attended: Bethany

GFF2012 was a huge success. It was very impressive how much body fat percentage loss there was among all of the ladies. There was also tons of improvement in the fitness assessments! Let's keep up the hard work ladies!  Although GFF2012 has ended, it is still important to continue eating well and working butts off at class!!!!

Great job everyone!!!

You don't get it by hoping...

Here are a few more at home workouts. These can be done on days when you miss a SSM workout or on days when there is no class offered. Ideally, you want to workout 5-6 days a week with 1-2 rest days. The end result is worth the fight ladies! These workouts will help you to reach your goal of becoming one fit mama!

All of the following workouts include exercises you have done in class. If you can't remember how to do something, just ask or look it up on youtube and you will be able to find a demo. Modify any of the following exercises/workouts as needed. 

1. Complete 30 of the following exercises, one after the other. Repeat 3 times with 1 minute rest between each set.
Squats
Jumping Jacks
Mountain Climbers
Pushups
Crunches 

2. 500 Rep Workout. Repeat the following 5 times with 30-60 seconds rest between each set. 
10 burpees
10 squat jumps
10 pushups
10 crunches
10 dips
10 tuck jumps
10 plank jacks
10 split jumps
10 mountain climbers
10 plank thrusts (pop your butt up, then bring it back down to a plank)

3. Repeat the following twice with 2 minutes rest in between.
50 jumping jacks
20 forward lunges
10 tuck jumps
20 squats
100 high knees
10 squat jumps
10 burpees
100 jump ropes (or simulated jump rope)
50 mountain climbers
25 pushups
1 minute plank hold

4. 20- 30 minute run stopping every 4 minutes for 20 pushups. Stop when your clock says 4,8,12,16,20,24, and 28.


5. It's all about punches and lunges!
20 reverse lunge (10 each leg)
50 alternating punches
30 split jumps
60 high low punches (25 each arm)
40 forward lunge (20 each leg)
70 fist together high low punches
50 curtsy lunge to side lunge (25 each leg)
80 punch, punch, upper cut, upper cut
60 side lunge (30 each leg)
Rest and repeat if you dare. 

Some more 'food for thought'...if you will...

Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?

That is what you need to ask yourself when you look at different 'diet' options. Diet fads come and go without offering a permanent solution. Try not to consider it a diet...make it a lifestyle change...something you can keep up when this 10 weeks is over. You don't need to change EVERYTHING about your diet all at once. Choose one new thing a week to focus on. For example...eating breakfast, snacking on fruit instead of junk food, decrease the amount of sodas or juice you are consuming to gradually get it down to very little to none. Small changes can make a HUGE difference, if they last! Pick one change, and make it a habit. Once you've mastered one change, move onto the next. If you make a mistake or miss a few meals of healthy eating, no problem. Forgive yourself and get back on track...

Holiday Break doesn't mean workout break...

Here are some at home workouts you can do over the holiday break no matter where you happen to be!!! I am reposting some and I have added a few new ones. NO EXCUSES!!!! 

Post to comments if you did one of the workouts, who you did it with, where you did it and how it went!!!

Happy Holidays!!!!! 

~Alexa

Most of these workouts require no equipment, all you need is you! 

1. Pushup and Sit-up Ladder
20 pushups, 20 sit-ups
18 push-ups, 18 sit-ups
16 push-ups, 16 sit-ups
Continue all the way down to...
2 push-ups, 2 sit-ups

2. Air Squats, push-ups, reverse lunges, mountain climber
20 air squats
20 pushups
20 reverse lunges
20 mountain climbers
repeat 3 times

3. Jump rope, walking lunges, burpees (if you do not have a jump rope, substitute high knee runs in place)
Jump Rope for 1 minute
Walking lunges for 1 minute
burpees for 1 minute
push-ups for 1 minute
repeat 3 times

4. Pushup Test
As many pushups as you can do in 1 minute
Repeat X3

5. Pushup circuit
10 regular pushups
10 staggered arm pushups
10 power T pushups
10 pushups with alternating knee to chest
Repeat X3

6. High Intensity Interval Training
20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest X 8 of the following exercises (with 1 min break between sets):
Burpees
Box Jumps or Step Ups (onto a step inside or outside your house)
Pushups
air squats
(this entire workout will take 23 minutes and will give you more benefit than doing 1 hour of cardio)

7. Workout Ladder

20 walking lunges

16 pushups

12 squat jumps

8 walking lunges

4 pushups

8 squat jumps

12 walking lunges

16 pushups

20  squat jumps

Rest and Repeat 

8. Outside Workout

Run 1 mile for time

50 situps

50 pushups

50 burpees

Run 1 mile (jog/sprinting telephone poles) 

These are all exercises we have done in class, so you should know how to perform them with proper form. Let me know if you have any questions about the exercises.

Stroller Strong Moms Get Fit For 2012

Some Get Fit For 2012 info!!!!!

Get Fit For 2012 is a 10 week program that will start January 18th and it will end on March 28th.

It will include both a fitness assessment and body composition assessment (during class time) at the start and end of the program. The fitness assessment will include:

-2 Minutes of step ups, count your steps
-Shuttle run for time
-Front plank for time
-Push ups, count reps

The body composition assessment will be calculated using a bio-impedence scale which gives a readout of the following:
weight
bmi
fat free mass
body fat
hydration %
You will receive points in five ways:
-Class attendance
-Improvement in fitness assessment
-Improvement in body composition assessment
-MVP of the day (a hard working mom will be chosen everyday as the MVP)
-Whether you reached the fitness goal you set for yourself on January 18th

Points will be tallied throughout the program and participants with the most points 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 $10 registration fee before the New Year and $15 registration fee afterwards. Payment can be made on the prices page of SSM website or at class. You have to be a member of SSM in order to participate in the GFF2012. To be a member of SSM, you must purchase a 1 month unlimited membership, 10 class pass, or 5 class pass. Click here to pay for membership and GFF2012.

'Get Fit for 2012' will happen during regular class days and times. The fitness testing will take place on January 18th and March 28th during class time. The body composition testing will occur by appointment during the first and last week of the challenge. More detailed info on the body composition testing is to follow.

You do not have to participate in the 'Get Fit For 2012' as a member of Stroller Strong Moms. It is your choice. Any questions, concerns, comments can be sent to info@strollerstrongmoms.com

I am really looking forward to this GFF2012!!!