I am 31 years old and proud Mom to Ella (3) and Tripp (15 mos). I stay at home with my 2 little ones and they consider the stroller a second home as I am the Franchise Owner & Instructor in Keller & Southlake Texas!

I heard of Fit4Mom when I was pregnant with my daughter. A Mom told me that “it is a fitness class that you do with the kids in strollers”…I was intrigued since fitness had always been a big part of my life and thought I would give the local class a try after my daughter was born. I had envisioned a group of Moms casually strolling through the park and chatting and didn't think it would be much of a workout. I was shocked to find that each Mom was strolling at her challenging pace~ some power walking and some even running! Not only that, they would stop for stations of strength training. It was a “Real” workout and not only that a challenging one!!! I was hooked!!!

At my first class with my 3-month old in tow, I had an overwhelming feeling that I wanted to be a part of this amazing program. I was already a Certified Personal Trainer, but was completely turned off from working in a gym. I fell in love with the idea of Moms coming together to do something positive for themselves. I talked to my Husband about the possibility of being an Instructor and he encouraged me to look into owning a Franchise. And just like that everything fell into place and within just a few months, I opened a Stroller Strides location at my neighborhood park. That was just over three years ago. We now offer in multiple locations~ Stroller Strides, Stroller Barre, Running Program & Body Back.

My morning begins by getting up early (before kiddos wake) to check the weather, communicate to our group about our schedule for the day and do any last minute tweaking to our workout planned for the day. You may even see me bearcrawl across my wood floor or ask my Husband to be my guinea pig for a new exercise I want to try. Next comes breakfast and packing everything we need for class (snacks, sippy cups, toys etc..). And no matter what time I started my day, it always feels like a mad dash to get out the door. Once I am in the car, I call the Instructors teaching for the day and we discuss our plans and anything else we need to share. Finally we arrive at our class and it is time to unload (which feels like a workout itself!)~ stroller out, kiddos buckled and it's GO time....and as I approach the group of women forming a circle to start our warmup, I take a deep breath and feel completely energized... There is so much thought and work that goes into the planning and organizing of our classes, but it is worth all of the efforts when I get to do what I love so very much~ leading these amazing ladies in our workouts.

Oh where do I begin?....there is so much I love about my job that I can barely consider it “work”. I am passionate about fitness and teaching our classes~I enjoy planning them and trying new things. However the best part about my job is these women's lives that I have the honor of being a part of. I am constantly inspired by these women and I cannot help but smile and be energized just being around them. Here are a few of my favorite things:

-The Mom that is up all night and still makes it to class~ Exhausted but she is there.

-The Mom that has a little one that is crying and another Mom offers her a hand or even a nod that says "I understand".

-The Mom that stops to feed her child or change a diaper and gets back into the workout without missing a beat.

-The Mom that arrives 30 minutes late and jumps into the workout because she is committed to getting her workout in- even half of one.

-And last but certainly not least~ the sweet little faces of children that will be imprinted on my heart for years to come. There is nothing better than getting hugs, high fives and a little cheer coming from the strollers. They brighten each and every day and keep us constantly smiling.

Fit4Mom has changed my life in every way. For many years, I suffered with eating disorders, poor self image and depression. I resorted to extremes to try to get "skinny" and was incredibly unhappy and unhealthy. I had an AHA moment while I was pregnant with my daughter~ that I did not want to pass on my insecurities and horrible habits of yo-yo dieting to her. I made a decision then that I was going to learn how to lose my baby weight the healthy way. I decided to go try a Stroller Strides class soon after my daughter was born and I found so much more than a workout. I found support, community and friendship with women who have the same desire to be healthy role models for their children. When I bought my Franchise, I knew there was a chance that I may never make any money...but it didn't matter. I absolutely love what I do and the best reward is when another Mother tells me how our program has changed her life, just like it has changed mine.

Advice for a new mom: I remember when I drove up to my first Stroller Strides class and how nervous I felt. I didn't know what to expect and I had serious butterflies in my stomach. I think many of us never step out of our comfort zone and try something new because of fear~ maybe it is the fear that you won't be able to keep up with the workout or you won't fit in or have anything in common with this group of ladies. My fears completely disappeared the moment I approached this new group of ladies that welcomed me with open arms. And it didn't matter our age or fitness level or background~ at the end of the day, we are ALL Mothers. We all know what it is like to go through pregnancy, getting your body back after baby and how challenging it is to make yourself a priority with little ones. Even though I did have fear to try something new and go to that first Stroller Strides class, it is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and my children.

Advice for my fellow Instructors: If you are like me, you have been hard on yourself (even beaten yourself up) over a station or workout that just didn't work. It looked so beautiful in your head and on paper, but just didn't pan out. I have made that phone call many times to my Husband (crying) that I did not do a good job that day and could have done better. If you have ever felt this way, (like me) you love what you do and care deeply about giving your group the best experience every workout every day.

But, what I have discovered it that it is impossible to be perfect and mostly what you would consider a "fail", they would consider a great workout! If you are passionate about what you do, they will be able to see that in you. And that kind of passion and energy is contagious~ even if that station didn't work!