Pushing the Limit
Babies give mothers the runaround in this fitness class on wheels.
Being a mother, owning a franchise and staying fit can be quite
a juggling act, but 32-year-old Kelly Rodgers has found a way to
combine it all and still remain standing. In 2001, before Rodgers
had her first child, she made a life-changing decision: She chose
to quit her job as a personal trainer and become the first
StrollerFit franchisee in Texas.
StrollerFit offers fitness classes that focus on postnatal
exercises. With babies tucked inside, strollers double as fitness
equipment. Mothers alternate jogging and power walking with
body-toning exercises. Meanwhile, babies are entertained with
routines that involve singing, counting and blowing bubbles.
"It's not just a workout for the moms," says Rodgers.
"It's also a chance for [moms] to spend time with their
kids and show them that exercise is fun."
In the fall of 2002, Rodgers moved with her husband to Lubbock,
Texas. Though she ultimately had to sell her Austin location, she
couldn't give up the franchise. "It was such a great
investment that I just couldn't imagine not doing it in
Lubbock," says Rodgers. She purchased a second franchise,
which currently offers five 50-minute classes a week conducted in
local parks, a mall and a skating rink. Her franchise brings in up
to $2,000 a month.
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Now that Rodgers is the proud mom of two, StrollerFit's
impact on her life is even deeper and more personal. The exercises
helped her get through both pregnancies, and some of her best
friends are her clients. Says Rodgers, "I need this not just
for my business sense and to make money, but for the physical,
emotional and social [element] of being a new mom."