The workout program that is full of babes

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

It’s 5 a.m., and you’re five months postpartum, but today is the day you’re going to return to your morning boot camp class. Your fellow a.m. gym goers miss you and your core muscles aren’t getting any stronger sitting on the couch folding onesies. You throw on your sneaks, grab your keys, and…

The baby wakes up. While everyone else is in the abs portion of boot camp, you, once again, are stuck at home. Thanks to Bergen County’s Baby Boot Camp, north Jersey moms can break this cycle.

Started in 2001 by Florida-native and active mom, Kristen Horler Baby Boot Camp now has franchise locations nationwide, with a particularly strong following in Bergen County. Jennifer Martinez, owner of the Lower Bergen Baby Boot Camp, offers moms and moms-to-be the best of Horler’s innovative fitness program.

Run by licensed and certified instructors who specialize in prenatal and postnatal exercises and nutrition, the Baby Boot Camp classes meet the needs of women who might otherwise be lost at a mainstream gym.

The majority of Baby Boot Camp classes invite both mom and baby to participate in the workouts. Welcoming one to two stroller-aged children per mom, the classes are formatted so that women can interact with their babies while working out.

Classes like “Strollga” (stroller yoga) and Strollfit (a 60-minute class for moms with stroller-aged children) use strollers as props. Not only does this put your burdensome stroller in a more positive light, but it also removes any guilt about leaving your baby with a sitter or at a daycare in order to exercise.

Other classes like the Core9 Birth Recover Program ad Core9 Birth Diastasis Repair Program allow post-natal moms to regain their strength and confidence with a community of like-minded women who understand their needs. This carries over to Baby Boot Camp’s free Strollerfriends Mom’s Club that encourages socialization and support for moms and their children.

It’s no secret that the body undergoes a huge transformation after birth, but Martinez and the Bergen Baby Boot Camp community will bring you to the ranks of “Fit Mom” in no time. Bergen County Baby Boot Camps are held in two outdoor locations: Van Saun Park and Riverside Ave. Lyndhurst near the track. There is also an indoor location at Paramus Park Mall.

For more information or to try a free class, visit: babybootcamp-lowerbergencounty.com.