Strength in Motherhood
Have you seen the large cluster of moms and kids in strollers at Nelson Park in the mornings? Five mornings per week, rain or shine, this group of mothers and kids gathers to exercise with FIT4MOM® Stockton. They meet for a one-hour session that works all muscle groups and is entertaining for the young ones as well.
Franchise owners Lisa Lenz and Lucy Garibay founded the Stockton village three and a half years ago. In it, they found the perfect opportunity to start their own business while raising children. Lisa has a degree in community health and loves creating opportunities for people to make healthy lifestyle choices. Lucy’s background is in nutrition and food science and she brings this expertise to the program. Combined, they have six children ages six and under and Lisa is expecting a baby this month. Both have continued to work out through pregnancies and have undergone extensive training through the FIT4MOM home office.
The benefits of belonging to FIT4MOM extend far beyond the time spent exercising. After class, many moms stay to let the kids play on the playground and socialize with the other children in the group. Moms can share the ups and downs of motherhood and feel a real sense of belonging to a caring and supportive community. There are lots of planned activities available each month, including a Mom’s Night Out, during which they’ve done everything from paddle boarding, wine tasting, sushi-making and more, a monthly Family Workout Saturday, field trips with the kids, weekly craft projects, visits from health and nutrition experts, clothing swaps and holiday parties. When a new baby is born in the village, members offer to help with errands or deliver dinner. These mothers discover that they are not alone in navigating the challenges of motherhood, balancing home and work life and finding time for self-care.
The group also feels strongly about giving back to the greater Stockton community and participates in service activities such as a recent trash pickup at Victory Park. They are supportive of local businesses and want to develop more partnership opportunities. The kids, ranging in age from six weeks on, reap many benefits as well. They have a large group of similarly aged friends and learn the importance of making fitness a vital part of a healthy lifestyle from a very early age. The workouts are accompanied by children’s songs and it’s fun to hear the little ones sing along. Giggles, bubbles and joy abound! Each class ends with time to take some deep breaths and stretch, especially the most important stretch of the day, a big smile!
FIT4MOM is the nation’s leading company for pre- and post-natal health, wellness and fitness. With 310 franchise owners and over 1,500 locations, it is much more than just an exercise class. It is a community of mothers who support every stage of motherhood from pregnancy on. The Stockton village has multiple grandmothers who are members and they all wish they had found something like this when they were raising children.
FIT4MOM is membership based. A monthly membership includes unlimited classes in both Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre. There are also additional classes geared for expectant mothers called FIT4BABY as well as a more intense Body Well program for moms only that runs for eight weeks. The first class is always free and for this month FIT4MOM is offering a $25 discount for readers with the code HERLIFE. Scan the QR code for more information.
