If you have visited Homewood Park in Orillia lately, you may have noticed the large and energetic groups of moms with strollers walking or jogging through the park, often with older kids in tow.
What attracts these parents to the regular get-togethers in the park is a unique program called Stroller-fit Orillia.
Stroller-fit is a one-of-a-kind postpartum fitness class run by local personal trainer and postnatal fitness specialist, Melissa White. White offers the drop-in classes two mornings a week, and has developed a dedicated following.
The outdoor classes provide an hour of group exercise and specific postpartum-related fitness instruction. But for many of the participants, the real attraction for the drop-in program is a much needed opportunity to get out with other moms.
Two first-timers at a recent class, Rachel Keetch and Kyra Ness, said they were thrilled to find out about the program so they could enjoy the benefits of fitness while also connecting with other moms.
“You can feel really isolated being at home with a new baby,” Keetch said. “Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when other programs and facilities are closed.”
As a graduate of the therapeutic recreation program at Georgian College, White says she has always been an advocate for the social and mental health benefits of recreation and physical activity.
Her career as a recreation therapist began when she provided specialized physical activity programs for individuals with special needs in schools and treatment centre settings; and now on a private one-to-one basis.
“After an outing on hiking trails or a workout in the gym, the families I worked with noticed huge improvements in their children’s behaviour and ability to learn in the classroom,” said White.
White says she fell in love with fitness and sports when she was in high school (at Orillia District Collegiate & Vocational Institute, or ODCVI) where she played competitive sports and helped coach the Orillia Lakers basketball team.
During her college studies, she became certified as a personal trainer and her career evolved from teaching and coaching to one-on-one personal training.
It was during her own pregnancy with her daughter Dani, now three years old, that she discovered a need for postpartum fitness training.
“I couldn’t believe the lack of information about fitness training and exercise for postpartum moms,” said White. “Moms are typically told that they can go back to their regular activity when baby is six weeks old. For some, this may be fine, but if you’re an athlete or extremely active, it’s important to rehabilitate and build up strength before jumping into a high impact or intense activity,” explained White.
“I am so passionate about not only helping women to feel confident in themselves and their bodies, but also to educate them about proper postpartum recovery and common postpartum related issues,” added White.
After searching and finding a course of study, White became a certified postnatal fitness specialist. She offered her first class shortly after her daughter was born and was pleasantly surprised to have 20 people register. Within a month, she needed a larger space and approached a local fitness facility to rent space, where she offered her postpartum classes and one-on-one training.
She began offering outdoor Stroller-fit classes in 2018, and ran the first class at Tudhope Park with over 40 participants. Quickly realizing that the park layout, with its large open spaces, didn’t work well, she discovered Homewood Park, which she says is ideal.
White now has a regular group of 20 to 30 moms who enjoy classes at Homewood Park, with some continuing to attend as their babies get older and many new moms taking part along with their “quarantine” babies, born during the past few months.
“For the moms whose babies were born during COVID-19, their experience has really not been what they may have expected. They haven’t been able to do a lot of the regular things that help new moms cope with their changed lives, “ said White.
As one of the Stroller-fit moms said, “I just need to get out!”
“They are able to come to the class and finally be doing something for themselves,” said White. “They get to focus on themselves for an hour. And they have a safe place where they can ask questions and talk to other moms. They leave feeling better about themselves. And that’s what it’s all about.”
Stroller-fit classes with White will continue Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. into the fall and new participants are always welcome. To learn more, visit White’s Facebook page, Melissa White – Personal Training Specialist.
