Losing the Baby Weight: “Mommy and Me” Workout Classes

I gained 40 pounds during my pregnancy—a lot more than I “planned” on gaining. But then, I gave birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy and found a kickass workout group that helped me lose the remaining baby weight. I honestly don’t know where I would be today without the support of this group of women, but I can say for sure where I wouldn’t be—in anything other than stretchy pants and oversized t-shirts.

3 weeks postpartum and 30 lbs heavier than I am today

During my pregnancy, I felt a lot of pressure to try and maintain my figure. Retrospectively, I wish I wouldn’t have worried so much about how my weight was affecting my appearance, and instead, appreciated the extra pounds as necessary spokes in the miracle wheel my body was spinning.

Being “all belly” isn’t #goals—it’s just a genetic body type. The time to buckle down on your weight is once your precious little one is here and no longer relying on your body to, quite literally, create their cells.

Gain the pounds for your baby, lose the pounds for yourself!

I’m not suggesting that pregnancy should mean forgetting self-care, self-love, or self-restraint. I’m just saying that if you’re eating pretty good and getting decent exercise but your gaining more weight than you’d like to see in Instagram photos, cut yourself some slack!

Finding Moxie Mamas Fitness Group

Doing bridge workout exercises with baby Luke
Christmas workout bridges with Santa

When David and I moved to Lake Nona at the beginning of my pregnancy, we were moving “far” away from a lot of the life we had established in central Orlando. But, we believed in the potential of the area and knew it would be a great place for Luke to grow up.

My mom kept telling me how important it would be for me to have other moms close by once the baby was born. I just wasn’t sure how to meet these women. Everything I read about making mom friends basically compared it to dating again.

Thankfully, one of my neighbors came over to introduce herself during an annual community garage sale and was nice enough to share insider info with me about all the “mom groups” in the area. She told me that Moxie Mamas had helped her lose baby weight after having her second.

What is it like to work out with your kids in tow?

Initially, I was pretty nervous about bringing my 6-week-old to a group exercise class, so my father-in-law stepped in to help watch Luke for my first trial class. But as soon as I arrived, my anxieties of having a crying baby in a group exercise environment diminished.

It felt extremely inviting—the combination of moms and kids together making the class feel like both a workout and a play date.

No one locks you out if you’re running late or glares at you if your kid is being fussy. It is a safe place to breastfeed, cry it out, vent, and just socialize with other women who get it. There is a tribe mentality that you feel immediately and never a shortage of helping hands. The owner, Kayla, is frequently strapping on a baby to settle them down, pushing a stroller, or entertaining a hyper toddler running by—all so her members can have a few minutes to work on improving themselves.

Luke soaking up the Florida sun during an outside class

Each class starts with introductions— your name, your kid(s) age(s), and an ice breaker question like “which kids show do you find yourself still watching even after your kids have tuned out?”. Even though it’s just a few minutes of the class, it has helped me learn the names of the other mamas and given me conversation starters to help me connect.

What kind of exercises do you do in class?

One unique thing that I LOVE about Moxie Mamas Fitness is that classes are always new and fresh. With four instructors rotating in the schedule, you are constantly being exposed to a different teaching style, and even when the same instructor teaches, you almost never get the same type of workout.

You can tell the instructors are passionate about mixing things up and keeping the experience entertaining.

A few of my favorite workouts from the last 7 months include:

Sports Drills

Growing up, I think I only stayed in shape because I was always playing sports. Even as an adult, I love playing sports. So, I was really stoked when I arrived at class recently and Kayla had worked in basketball drills to our workout.

Partner Exercises

Often in class, we partner up and complete drills as twosomes. Sometimes, we answer ice breaker questions while squat jumping. Other times, we work together to complete a relay. At the class this photo was taken in, we had to hold plank position until our partner completed 10 lateral jumps over us.

80s Style Dancer-cize

During the week of Halloween, all of the daily classes were themed. My favorite was a Jane Fonda-esque rock out 80s dance class. Complete with unitards and neon, it was a ton of fun and gave me a reason to open up my costume closet!

The Social Activities

Moxie Mamas isn’t just a fitness group, like what you might join at the YMCA or even Orange Theory—it is a community. It is a support group. It is a way to fill up your social calendar as a new mom. There are organized play dates, mom/parents nights out, and run meetups. The holidays are full of hosted celebrations and potlucks.

Moxie Mamas Annual Holiday Party 2018

Seeing Results

I understood my body was going to change once I had a kid, but I didn’t expect any of the changes to feel positive. Better yet, I didn’t believe in myself enough to feel I had control over my postpartum body. I didn’t think I could put in the work required to lose weight the healthy way, but the motivation from this group of women has changed that. I would definitely encourage all new mamas to seek out a mommy and me fitness group in your area!

Live in Lake Nona?

Hey neighbor! If you’re interested in trying out a Moxie Mamas class, they are held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. There is also one class held on Wednesday evenings. You can schedule a trial class for free at fitwithmoxie.com!

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