★MomStars: Stroller Strides Founder Lisa Druxman

Lisa Druxman kicked my rear (and arms and legs) with her Mama Wants Her Body Back series of workout DVDs. Mom of two kids (Jacob,9, and Rachel,6), Lisa knows what it’s like to balance fitness, work and the family. As a fitness pro, Lisa blended motherhood and her love of fitness into Stroller Strides, a stroller-based workout that doesn’t require you to leave your baby at home. Lisa answered our burning questions on pregnancy, getting fit after baby and what a typical workout week looks like for her. Read on for fit-spiration!

Interview With Lisa Druxman

• FBM: What were your favorite activities and workouts during pregnancy?
• LD: For my second, Stroller Strides, of course. Before Stroller Strides existed, I did my own stroller workout with Jacob. Loved to be outdoors and show him the sky and the trees and get fresh air.
• FBM: Any pregnancy craving or food aversions stand out?
• LD: Bean and cheese burritos. Both pregnancies, almost every day!
• FBM: What was your favorite part of pregnancy? What was your least favorite part of pregnancy?
• LD: I LOVED being pregnant! I was in awe of my body and what it was doing. Being pregnant was my “aha moment” on how you should take care of yourself. What I didn’t like, hmmm. I think I’ve repressed that. My hips hurt!
• FBM: What was your experience getting back into shape after pregnancy? Any lessons learned to share with new moms?
• LD: It took nine months to put the weight on so give yourself nine months to get back in shape. Your body goes through more changes in nine months than a man’s will in his entire life. You can’t and shouldn’t jump back in to your old workout routine. Take baby steps towards your goals. If it feels good, take more steps. Also, focus on exercises that truly bring your body back.
• FBM: What does a typical workout week look like for you?
• LD: I teach Body Back two days per week. Usually I run two days, do a high-intensity strength workout one day and try to get yoga in one day.
• FBM: How do you balance “you time” with the demands of motherhood?
• LD: I carve it out like any other appointment. I “take ten” every single day. This means I take 10 minutes to meditate, read or just be still. Believe it or not, I force myself to do this, even when I feel I don’t have time. The quiet time and the recharge really work!
• FBM: Any advice for other moms on how to keep family healthy and active?
• LD: Be active together. Most moms tell me that they don’t have time to go to a gym. I think you can work out with your kids from the start. Whether it’s going for a walk/run and pushing them in the stroller or going on a bike ride with them when they get older. Take hikes, play soccer with them, play on the playground. It’s good for you and for them. Don’t be a spectator.
• FBM: What do you think your Mama Wants Her… workout DVDs offer that others don’t?
• LD: It’s the only workout that offers high-intensity interval training, 20- minute workouts and targeted workouts that moms need. The program went through a clinical university study and the results were significant. All of the weight lost was 100 percent fat. Plus, they put on muscle, regained their posture and more! I think the workout is the right combination of challenging but inspiring (at least that was my hope).
• FBM: How did your Stroller Strides idea come about, and how can it benefit moms?
• LD: Stroller Strides was one of those “aha moments” in your life. I was a new mom on maternity leave and every moment was precious to me. I loved working in the fitness industry but did not want to go back to work full time in a traditional capacity. Unfortunately, I could not afford to be a stay-at-home mom. So while working out with my son, I realized that I could help other moms get back into shape if I put a class together. This would help me too because I did not know any new moms and was looking for a way to connect. I came up with the name on that very walk. I started with just a few moms in my local neighborhood and word soon spread, and we grew quickly from there.
• FBM: Any other thoughts or advice for our Fit Bottomed readers?
• LD: Be a model mom. All moms I know are burning the candle at both ends. Would you want your child to live like that? No? Then where are they going to learn a healthier lifestyle? The best gift you can give your family is to take care of yourself.

A big thanks to Lisa for sharing her insight and experience with us! Great advice for moms everywhere. And I’m a big bean and cheese burrito fan myself! —Erin