When Rebecca Loy’s family relocated to Denver, researching neighborhoods was key before setting up a new life for herself and her family.
Loy’s method? Lace up her running shoes, buckle daughter Jessica into the jogging stroller and hit a few Stroller Strides classes, the franchise exercise program where moms get a 60-minute workout while pushing their kids in the stroller.
In fall 2008, she found two options: one in a south suburb and Erin Johns’ workouts in Stapleton.
“The first thing I did when I knew we were moving was search online for Stroller Strides,” says Loy, a 27- year-old mother of two, who attended classes in Knoxville, Tenn.
“Once I got to class I met all these great women — including Erin — and that had a lot to do with choosing Stapleton. It’s how I made friends.”
While not all of Johns’ clients ultimately buy real estate to get closer to her workouts, she has created a loyal following of moms who make it to class several times a week for a serious workout and quality girl time.
Loy readily credits Stroller Strides for her solid mom-network in her new neighborhood. “And I’m proud to say, after two kids, I’m in the best shape of my life,” she says.
A recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found non-dieting, middle-age women with a body mass index of less than 25 still needed 60 minutes of daily moderate exercise to prevent weight gain.
For new moms looking to shed the baby weight exercise is essential.
Personally, I don’t need medical experts to remind me to exercise. My son was 3, and I still wasn’t back in my “good jeans.” Then I met Johns.
“I gained 90 pounds”
Standing 5 foot, 8 inches tall in her running shoes, her blond hair pulled