Local Mom Brings National Fitness Class to Livingston

A Madison resident has brought a national exercise program to Livingston and Florham Park that has been attracting new moms all over the country.

The fitness program, Stroller Strides, is a 60-minute workout for new moms to get back in shape that includes cardiovascular, strength and flexibility drills, with some of the exercises involving strollers. The class is both interactive for the moms and their babies.

Owner Nikki Cosentino decided to bring the popular fitness program to the area after taking the class with her 1-year-old daughter, Ellie, when she was only 8 weeks old.

Cosentino said she owes Stroller Strides to getting back in shape after her pregnancy, and feels other moms in the area can benefit from it as well.

"It was just so important for me just getting back in shape, being able to exercise," she said. "It lifted my mood a lot, getting out of the house, finding a network of moms."

The grand opening event will be on Sept. 12 at Guest Services in the at 9 a.m. The event will include a free class and a special celebration afterwards with prizes and giveaways.

Starting Sept. 14, the classes will be held at in Florham Park on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, the classes will be held at the Livingston Mall.

The workout, Cosentino said, isn't just an exercise, but also a social network for moms and their babies to interact and have a good time. Cosentino said that aspect of the program was what stood out to her the most, because she wanted to get back to the gym but didn't want to leave her daughter in day care.

Cosentino, who moved in June to Madison from Stamford, Conn., immediately thought to bring the program to Morris County when she got here. Now a certified instructor, Cosentino hopes for the business to eventually expand.

A typical Stroller Strides workout involves a warmup at the beginning with an icebreaker. Then the moms go through several stations that have different resistance and cardio exercises, while jogging and power-walking in between and singing songs to their babies. 

The babies come with the moms from station to station, with some of the exercises incorporating the strollers. There's an ab exercise where the mom pushes and pull the stroller to work their obliques.

After finding much success from working out with Stroller Strides for almost a year now, Cosentino is excited to spread the program to new moms and teach her first classes in Morris County.

"I think it's going to be a great opportunity for moms to get involved in fitness with their kids," she said, "and I think that this is really an important service for the community and I'm really excited to do it."

Fore more information about the program, visit their website.