Stroller Strides Provides More Than Exercise to Local Moms

Stroller Strides isn’t an ordinary exercise class.

Sure there is equipment, music and people sweating. But in this class, the equipment is strollers, the music is nursery rhymes and the class all mothers.

Stroller Strides is the nation’s largest fitness program for new moms. Krissy Toenjes instructs classes in Orland and Tinley Park, after she started taking classes with Stroller Strides when her son was 6 weeks old.  About 6 months later the instructor at that time announced she was selling the franchise and moving to Colorado. 

Toenjes knew she wanted to stay at home with her child and saw this as a way to do so. Her hunch grew stronger when she learned the location of the mandatory certification courses. 

“The franchise is based in San-Diego,” Toenjes said.  “So typically you would have to go there to get certified.” 

Coincidentally, the year Toenjes looked into the franchise they were holding a certification in Chicago. 

“So I bought it,” Toenjes said.  “I was a teacher and I knew I wanted to stay at home so this was a nice fit for me.” 

Stroller Strides is a continuous and year-round class, where walking moves to Orland Square Mall in inclement weather and parks when it’s nice out. Parents can start Stroller Strides classes as soon as their child gets approval from a physician (saying they can work-out) which is usually when the child is 6 weeks old. The course is designed to use the stroller and exercise tubing to do power walking and intervals of body toning.

“I work a lot of evenings so I’m at home with my baby during the day,” Homewood resident Alison Wright said.  “This is great because I need to workout and I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do that with my child.”

Every parent has their stroller so that’s incorporated as part of the exercise.

“We do a walking launch so they have a little bit of resistance and weight added by pushing the stroller forward,” Toenjes said.  “The moms can run or walk depending on where their fitness level is and I’ll stop and do intervals of cardio and strength training as well.” 

The strength training is 100% resistance bands or using the stroller. Toenjes modifies the classes based on the parents’ fitness level.

“We do a lot of things in the environment like push-ups or we’ll find a bench at the park and do step-ups,” Toenjes said. “I provide them the tools so they just need to be able to push themselves to get back in shape.”

Songs coincide with certain exercises. 

“We sing the alphabet, Five Little Monkeys and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” Toenjes said. “They all have a certain exercise that we do with the song so that there’s repetition.”

One of the biggest benefits of Stroller Strides is being a positive role model for the kids. 

“After class a lot of times the kids will take out the resistance bands and imitate what we did,” Toenjes said.  “So you’re (teaching) exercise to your children. They think its fun.” 

“At the gym I have to interrupt my workout to go and check on my son” a class participant said.  “I’m particular about who I leave my children with.  This is nice because she (Toenjes) incorporates songs and activates during the workout.  I’m with my son the whole time.”

Toenjes also teaches an eight-week prenatal fitness class called Fit4Baby. Women can sign up for the class as soon as they have a positive pregnancy test. 

“I am trained to modify the classes for them so it’s more than a personal trainer,” Toenjes said.  The classes are modified based on fitness level and trimester. 

“Pregnancy is just such a beautiful thing and to be able to have the opportunity to work with them on a daily basis is really a gift,” Toenjes said.

Ninety percent of the mothers who attend the Fit4Baby course returns for the Stroller Strides. 

“When they come back it’s usually six to eight weeks later and then I get to meet the baby,” Toenjes said.

 “I have a mom that started off coming with a double stroller-so she had the two kids whom at the time were 3 and 2-years-old” Toenjes recalls.  “She stayed with me thru her entire pregnancy in Stroller Strides pushing a double stroller while she was very, very pregnant.  Six weeks later she came back with a triple stroller and she continued to work-out with me.”

 At no extra charge, Toenjes does a specialty class every week. She has made crafts, moms’ nights out and local field trips. 

“I have some moms who just come to events because all they are looking for is the opportunity to meet other moms,” Toenjes said. 

“My son has made friends here,” Wright said.  "(Toenjes) has playtime after class and parties so it’s like a play group for him too.”