When I had my first baby waayyyy back in 2000, I met a wonderful circle of friends through the Boomerang Kids Strollercise program. At the time, we only had 6 months for our maternity leave, so when Strollercise was offered 3 days a week, we were there for all of them. As we went back to work, we had to find ways to keep our bodies moving and friendship strong. Exercise is what brought us together, so that's what we continued. For a long time we ran together one or two evenings a week.  

After a while, the running group dwindled - some of us were pregnant and some were busy. In an effort to keep active, one of our group would notoriously find a program in the spring and let us know she was registering and would any of us like to join? One year we did a Running Room clinic. One year we did pilates. One year we did deep water running. And then, one year we did the Women’s only Bootcamp (formerly FITWOMAN).

I remember my very first class in March of 2008. I thought I was in reasonable shape (although spring was coming and I hadn't really done a whole lot of exercise through the winter, except a weekly volleyball game and a bit of fair-weather running). I was sadly mistaken. The class was very hard, I really struggled my way through it and I was exceptionally sore for days afterwards. But, I had paid my money and decided that I was going to need to see it through. A few weeks after I started, the owner ran a two for one promotion, so I began attending classes twice a week and noticed how much faster I was seeing results. I never really looked out of shape before, but within a few months, I was feeling stronger, more energetic and quite fit. My body changed so that my clothes felt more comfortable and I felt good (plus, my flat postpartum butt was no longer flat!!)

My friends and I continued going to the this class for nearly a year, but slowly, schedules changed and some of them dropped off. Originally, I joined the class because I had friends going, and this was a good opportunity to see them. I had added the class to our family calendar, so that if anything else came up, we could arrange for a babysitter. And, I felt the cost of the class was high enough that I didn't want to miss any classes, if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Eventually, these things mattered less and less as the class became established as a part of my weekly routine and as an essential component of my well being. Meeting some new friends along the way was also a bonus!

I kept up with weekly classes for well over two years, either taking breaks here and there when kids soccer games got in the way or doubling up on classes in the "off season" between my kids’ sports. When the owner announced that she was giving the business up, I wondered what I would do to replace my weekly classes. I looked into other alternatives, but either the time commitment was too great or the timing didn't work. And so, nearly six months after my last bootcamp class, I quit my corporate finance job, bought the business, completed the necessary training and started teaching group fitness. For over 13 years now, I have had the honour of teaching fitness classes that help other prenatal and postpartum women feel the way I felt. I get to share my experiences and give them advice when they ask. I get to see moms form friendships with women they may not have met otherwise, just like I did all those years ago. And I get to hold all of those beautiful babies. Life has changed, and definitely for the better.

When I started my business in 2010, my kids were at the stage where babysitters were still required if we wanted to leave the house. And now, we’re at the stage where our house is very quiet and very empty! One thing that hasn’t changed is the amount of joy that comes from meeting mamas and babies every week and watching connections form between mamas that might never have met, had they not been in a similar stage of life. These friendships are precious and long lasting and I’m honoured that I get to be a small part of these lives as mamas navigate their way through parenthood!

Here’s to more years of Fitmama Strong Ottawa, amazing mamas, gorgeous babies, great friends and fun fitness!

Interested in joining us? Our classes are a great way to meet other new parents. Fitmama Strong Ottawa has been operating classes in the National Capital Region since 2005. Our community is a thriving and welcoming space for you and your littles.

We offer Prenatal Fitness classes, live from our virtual studio. Our 30 minute live, online Express classes our our On-Demand library of pre-recorded workouts are a favourite for busy mamas who enjoy consistency in their workout regime. Finally, we offer in-person Stroller Fitness and Babywearing Fitness in a central location. We can’t wait to have you join us!

We can’t wait for you to #startwithus and #growwithus (Formerly FITMOM Ottawa)