Workout with Elk Grove moms

Mom workout group offers friendship, fitness

By Katie Freeman – Lifestyle & Arts Reporter, Elk Grove Citizen

Losing baby weight and socializing are two reasons Maria Kang gives as to why someone should join her Mom-Me fitness group.

The group is four weeks old, about the same age as some of the members’ babies. Their young babies don’t stop them from jumping back on the fitness wagon.

“I think it’s good to exercise right after having a baby and get back into it,” said Suzanne Kennedy, who brought her 4-week-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

The group meets every Tuesday at Kunsting Family Park and Thursday at Kloss Park from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Elk Grove.

Thursday, March 26, marked the second workout for Kennedy.

Her son played on the playground, while the moms pushed their strollers around the concrete path surrounding the jungle gym.

The women jogged with their strollers for about 15 minutes before they did circuit training, abs and stretching– totaling a 40 minute workout.

Kang said they burn anywhere from 300 to 600 calories during the high-intensity regimen.

Occasionally, a baby would whimper, the mom would stop to calm the baby and then proceed with the workout. For the most part, the babies just slept or stared intently at whatever was in front of them.

“She’s four weeks old, so she sleeps most of the time,” Kennedy said about her baby.

There is no sign-up sheet or fee required to join.

“Just show-up,” said Ana Sneed, who has been friends with Kang since high school.

The two women were pregnant at the same time– their due dates were four days apart.

When Kang was pregnant, she had an idea about starting a mother’s fitness group and Sneed volunteered to help.

They posted signs around Elk Grove to promote Mom-Me.

For the first Mom-Me workout, no one came. Fortunately, the next one was more successful.

Now the group consists of five to six mothers and their babies.

Although the group is small, lately she’s been receiving more inquires from women interested in attending.

Kang just launched a Web site for mothers who can’t attend the meet-up, but want workout advice, she said.

Kang’s career in fitness began while in college. She worked as a trainer for 24 Hour Fitness. Then she worked in San Ramon for the 24 Hour Fitness corporate office.

She said her leader-type personality will help her and other mothers get into pre-baby shape.

“It’s kind of an accountability thing,” she said. “If I’m responsible for leading other people, then I’m responsible for getting fit too.”

The women execute push-ups, jumping jacks, squats and other calisthenics under the shade of a gazebo.

Kang shouts directions and corrects any improper form, but is so perky, her directions come across as helpful advice.

“We are all at our own level and no one is breathing down our necks, everyone is really supportive,” Sneed said.

After the calisthenics, they do abdominal work lying on the padded ground surrounding the jungle gym.

One of the reasons Kang said she started the group was because she wanted to meet other moms and lose the pregnancy weight.

“I wanted to be fit right after pregnancy,” she said.

Besides living in Elk Grove and having a baby, the women in the Mom-Me group share the desire to be fit moms.

“They want to lose the baby fat- the baby fat from the baby,” she said.

The social aspect of the group is appealing for new moms too.

“Right after you have a child you can feel really alienated,” Sneed said. “So it’s great to meet moms and not just go to the gym by yourself.”

Sneed said she likes Mom-Me more than the gym because it’s a support system.

“It’s great for me because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I know that I have to get up and come here because people are expecting me,” she said.

Everyone in the group has their own motivation.

Joy Isaacson joined the group Tuesday, March 17.

She hopes her baby, five-week-old Sierra, will make friends with other babies, she said.

Isaacson also wants to lose the 40 pounds she gained during pregnancy.

The group will help motivate her to work out, but to reach her goal weight, she’ll need to workout more often, Isaacson said.

“But at least this is motivating,” she said.

Some of the women will go back to work soon, so they want to memorize the exercises.

“I think Maria’s goal is to teach us all the exercises so we don’t depend on her,” Sneed said. “Then we can meet on our own and do it.”

After the abdominal portion of the workout, Kang handed out Nutri-Grain bars.

First 5 California gives money to the group so that everyone can have bottled water and a snack at the end of each workout.

The moms sat while they stretched, chatted and took their babies out of the strollers to meet other babies.

Kang held Sneed’s baby, William, in her lap.

“In the summertime when it’s a little bit warmer, I want to use the babies as weights,” Kang said as she lifted up William.

“I want the kids to be involved in the fitness aspect, so they can grow up with a really healthy mindset,” she said.

The women also want to add another regular workout meet-up on Saturday at 9 a.m., so their husbands can attend too.

“So they know the pain we go through,” Kang said with a laugh.

For more information about Mom-Me fitness club, please visit http://www.mommyfitnessclub.com/.

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UPDATE:

On Tuesdays we meet at10am at Kloss Park

and on Thursdays we meet at10am at Kunsting Family Park on 10069 Wild Orchid Way (right off of Whitelock)

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