Stroller Strides Music City

Stroller Strides Franchise FOR SALE

2010-03-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Katie Caplenor's Stroller Strides Franchise is for sale. It includes the following zip codes: 37214, 37201, 37203, 37206, 37212, 37213,37210, 37219, 37240. If you purchase a franchise similar to this from Stroller Strides Corporate you will spend $3500. If you purchase it from me you will receive a significant discount.

Purchasing this franchise from me directly will not only allow you to offer Stroller Strides classes in the above zip codes, you will also receive the Operations and Instructs Manuals, Instructor Training DVD, a CD of a Stroller Strides sample class, access to Class Trac (custom class tracking system), PR Program for local publicity, and a Stroller Strides duffel bag containing Stroller Strides merchandise.

Please contact Katie Caplenor directly at 615.440.8658 to discuss pricing.

Happy New Year Stroller Striders of Music City!

2009-01-01T09:29:00.000-08:00

I can't help but be excited about the New Year and all the new possibilities this new year holds! I've decided to start the year off right with a new gadget. You're probably sitting at your computer wondering what new gadget I could be writing about. Well, it is an awesome new armband made by GoWear fit. It is a lifestyle and calorie management system that tracks my calories burned, steps walked and sleep. I've had it on for a little over 24 hours and am pretty pleased with my results.

Stroller Strides Halloween Parade

2008-10-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

As we all know Halloween is quickly approaching. I have BIG plans for my Stroller Strides class on Friday, October 31st at Two Rivers Park. First off, we're going to have class.....but not the class as we all know it. There are going to be all kinds of spooky exercises and fun Halloween songs. All of this is going to be followed by the Stroller Strides Halloween Parade at on the Greenway. Kids that are able and willing to walk can feel free to do so. If they are too young for walking, the strollers are perfectly acceptable!

If you aren't overloaded with fun at that point or totally exhausted from all the exercise, we're going to end the playdate with a craft. AND of course I'll have a snack for both moms and all babies.

No Bones About It

2008-10-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Stroller Strides probably puts on the best National Conference out there! I just got back on Sunday and can't stop thinking of all the wonderful new and exciting things to do with my Stroller Strides classes!

I met so many other great Stroller Strides franchisees from all around the world......yes, world. Lisa Druxman and her corporate team made the weekend so worth the money. I highly recommend next year's conference to anyone that didn't make it this year.

Mommy Mixer at Flavour

2008-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

I got invited to my second Mommy Mixer and it was a blast! It was held in downtown Nashville at a upscale shop called Flavour. And boy was it FABULOUS! I walked around and checked out some of the super cute higher end clothes. I found some boots that were soft enough to pet and maybe even used to comfort a sad baby. I turned them over and saw the price tag.......$385........no wonder I liked them so much.

I think that the only thing there that really applied to my mommy lifestyle were these awesome tummy tuck tank tops! I found them online and they're correctly named Yummy Tummy. I gave them a tug and your pooch ain't going nowhere! (Nice English!)

Another exciting thing that happened at the Mommy Mixer was when the guy from Design Star's Josh Johnson walked in. He was so interested in all the bedazzled cowboy shirts that he didn't even notice that he was surrounded by a bunch of college aged girls and notebook toting moms all wearing name tags.

All-in-all the Mommy Mixer was a hit! There were scads of great college-aged young ladies to choose from. Their profiles were all neatly written and very detailed. I can't wait to finally get out of the house and go on an actual date with my husband again!

Stroller Strides-What Are You Waiting For?

2008-09-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

Maybe you haven't noticed, but moms are putting fitness towards the top of their list lately. As a mom, I know that I can't do everything, but I can certainly get a lot more done when I am fit. Starting my day out with a great workout, like Stroller Strides, gives me more energy to make it through the whole day.

As a mom to twin boys, I've learned that multitasking is a MUST! When my boys were infants, I learned that in order to make any headway on household chores, you must be doing at least two things at once. It doesn't have to be as complicated as it seems. I am talking about throwing a load of clothes in the washer at 3am when you get up to feed a baby or two. Seriously, when you're that sleep deprived, you don't remember anything anyway!

A Stroller Strides class is a great place to check many of the daily necessities check the list. Not only are you exercising (check), you're getting some MUCH needed socializing (check) into your day. The class focusing on entertaining the babies with singing, counting and what baby isn’t entertained by watching mommy do some jumping jacks or slalom between a line of strollers?

So if you haven't checked out a Stroller Strides class near you, what are you waiting for? There are Stroller Strides classes popping up all over the Nashville and its surroundings.

August Not as Hot as Normal

2008-08-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

While August is normally a super hot month in Nashville, it hasn't really been all that hot this August. Of course Mother Nature plays this kind of trick after I schedule my Stroller Strides classes indoors for the month of August. I certainly can't go back and forth in class locations, but September will be back outdoors for sure! I will have to change my schedule around a little bit. So instead of offering my Centennial Park class Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it will be a Tuesday & Thursday class. Then I will be at Two Rivers Park on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. So it really isn't all that tricky.

Stroller STrides Grand Opening in Nolensville

2008-08-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

So today the boys and I ventured off to our friend Sunshine's Stroller Strides Grand Opening in Nolensville, TN. It was in the Burkitt neighborhood.....cute houses! To get there, we had to drive down some windy country roads.......up and down hills, turning and twisting. Wouldn't you know it, I heard Alex say, "Uh oh, Mommy.....up." Well, I knew exactly what that meant and what was going to happen next! He proceeded to throw up due to our never ending battle with car sickness. I knew Max was soon to follow......and he did!
This was right as we were making our last turn into the development. Oh no! What was I going to do? As I thought this, I drove past a yardsale. I pulled over and asked the family selling stuff if they had any 2T clothes. I explained the situation and they were super nice and understanding about the whole thing. The dad brought out paper towels and turned on the hose for us. I managed to find shorts in the van and we headed up the street to Sunshine's GO.
The boys were still shirtless, but at least they weren't covered in little pancake chunks. And I don't really care what others think anyway. A moms gotta do what a moms gotta do sometimes!
The Stroller Strides Grand Opening was a success. The boys really enjoyed the juice and fruit that was offered afterwards. We had to get out of there pretty quickly because there was a family brunch to get to that started about an hour before this. I guess we'd have to do that shirtless too. I opened up my window and thanked the family for letting me use their hose and the mom was so excited to tell me that she found two little shirts. AWESOME! I gave her $1 even though our total was $.50. And we were off to our next Saturday function.
A few people asked me if I went to Texas Tech and I couldn't figure out where they were getting that from. As we were leaving, I noticed that Alex's shirt was a Texas Tech shirt. Max got lucky and was sporting the Hard Rock Cafe.

My Terrible No Good Day

2008-08-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday started off like all other Fridays. I got everyone into the car and headed down to Centennial Park for our Stroller Strides class. I got there at about 9:10 and was instantly greeted by our friends Sara and her twin boys Owen and Zach.

After I got Max out of the Jeep, I opened up the back to get the Bob Daulie out......my giant 30 lb double stroller. As I lifted it up and out of the trunk, there was an awful pain in my back! I yelped pretty loud and yelled for Sara to come get the stroller. She grabbed in just in time and I proceeded to fall into the trunk. My first thought was that I was so thankful to be with my Critical Care Nurse friend Sara. Lovely as that was, I was officially stuck in the trunk!

Sara brought me my phone and somehow Mike knew to actually answer the phone. I was crying at this point and he didn't even ask any questions, which made me think that I got my point across pretty well. As we waited for him to come, more of my stridees started to arrive for class to find me crying stuck in my trunk. I managed to call the boys Grammy to come pick them up so that they could stop worrying about mommy's ouchie. They were so concerned and kept giving me kisses on my hands because that was all they could reach!

Once they were gone, I let my ladies call for an ambulance. It didn't take long for it to arrive because Centennial Park is surrounded by three hospitals.......however, the truly embarrassing firetruck showed up first. URG!

Once at the hospital, I got four shots in my hiney to dull the pain and I was down for the count. I don't remember leaving the hospital or ordering french fries through a drive thru. I did wake up 5 hours later with a pretty sore back and like a chip monk with chewed up french fries in each cheek.

I'll keep you posted on my recovery. I did get to the doctor today and she said that it was probably just a muscle spasm and that I should be just fine. I don't know how long it will take my ego to recover though!

2008 Stroller Strides MomOlympics

2008-07-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

The athleticism exhibited by Olympic athletes is impressive and inspiring. Alas, it is nothing compared to motherhood! In celebration of the 2008 Summer Olympics beginning 08/08/08, I have devised our own little competition. It is about setting goals and working to achieve them. It is my hope that you focus on your total health – mind, body, and spirit. Although a certain weight on the scale might be desired, it is your strength and vitality that make you beautiful and the best mom you can be. So, not only do I want you to commit to being active at some point each day, but I also want you to commit to strengthening your inner beauty and spirit.

Introducing the 2008 Stroller Strides Momolympics!! I have created a fun program that will help you meet your goals of making healthy lifestyle changes.
Each of you will be “competing” against each other to accumulate and earn points according to your daily activities. For example, points are awarded for attending Stroller Strides classes, exercising on your own, taking time for yourself, spending time meditating/praying, keeping a personal journal, eating fruits and vegetables, and many others. The mom to earn the most points wins PRIZES!!

Brief Hiatus

2008-07-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Did you think I had forgotten about my Stroller Strides blog? Nope! I just took a brief hiatus to get through my twin boys' 2nd birthday bash. My mom came to Nashville from Maryland for the bash and we had a GREAT time! The weather wasn't looking too good early in the week, so I stopped checking weather.com. When Saturday, the 5th arrived, I couldn't have dreamed of a better day! The party started at 11 and was over by 1. The sun was shining and there was little humidity and I occasional felt a little breeze.

We got a bouncy bouncy.....as Max calls it.....from Backyard Bounce. It was a BIG hit with all of our guests. .....well, the small ones at the party really enjoyed it.

Exercise of the Week: Hip Bridge

2008-06-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

It is time for the Stroller Strides exercise of the week again sent from the wonderful Farel Hruska. This time, we are focusing on our gluteous maximus........in other words, our hineys!
This can be a super troubling area for many women and hip bridges might be the answer. This is a great exercise that can be done while watching TV or when you're playing on the floor with the kiddos.

Step 1: get on your back with your knees bent. Your hands should be at your side. (Be sure you're smiling too!) Step 2: Thrust your hips up while keeping your shoulders and hands down. Flex the gluteous while you're in this position. (Keep smiling!) Do this for 3 sets of 10. Remember to BREATH while you're doing this exercise.
Step 3. Cross one leg over the other and continue to raise your hips. You'll really start to feel it in that one side of the hiney now! Do this for 3 sets of 10 on each side.
Step 4. Extend one leg and continue lifting the hips up. Fwew! I bet you feel it now! This also tends to get that quad going too!

Please note that if you're feeling any lower back pain, do not thrust your hips quite as high.

New Equipment Arrived

2008-06-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

So I ordered two new items to start using in my classes. I got so excited about being able to offer some new and exiting things in the classes to mix things up a bit. The first thing I ordered was 10 slomo balls. Funny name, huh? They are these foamy balls that are almost a little sticky. They are great for doing crunches with if you put them behind your back. They provide some support and take so much stress off your neck.

The other thing that I got excited about are the jump ropes. Man was I sad when I tried to do my first jump and realized that they were SHORT. Yes, I am tall at 5'9", but I had to duck to get my head under. I think that they are having to go back ASAP!

Jumping Rope

2008-06-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about introducing a new element to my Stroller Strides classes at Centennial Park......jumping rope. I actually just did some rope jumping outside with my husband and it is a serious workout. I started investigating for myself what would give the best "bag for the buck" in my own workout. I checked out this site by Milk.

It seems like jumping rope burns tons of calories. When you're trying to lose some lbs, burning calories and making yourself sweat is exactly what you need to do.

I LOVE STROLLER STRIDES...not the weather!!

2008-06-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

Not many people can say that they love their job. I am one of the few people that can! I started my Stroller Strides business almost a year ago. My first Grand Opening was October 7th at Opry Mills. Since then, I've opened two more locations in Nashville. The Opry Mills class moved outside to The Hermitage Park and the two new classes are Centennial Park in Downtown Nashville and Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville.

There is one thing about the Stroller Strides job that I don't like......the weather! Today we were supposed to have our Father's Day Workout and it rained all morning. I waited as long as I could this morning to make the final decision. It was raining here at my house and weather.com said that there was a 40% chance of rain. One of my Stroller Strides members called me to tell me that it was raining over there and that sealed the deal on postponing the Father's Day Workout.

Stroller Form

2008-06-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Correct stroller form is essential to a stroller fitness class like Stroller Strides. This will not only help you burn more calories, it will dramatically reduce your chances of becoming injured while in class. Here are some helpful hints from the Stroller Strides Office:

1. Head, Shoulders and chest
Keep your head back and centered between your shoulders. Be sure to focus straight ahead keeping your shoulders back and down. Be sure to lift your chest and don't be afraid to stick it out!

2. Arms and Hands
Arms should be bent at 90 degrees and hands should be loosely cupped on the stroller.

3. Abdominals
Be sure to keep your core tight while you're walking!

4. Hips, Thighs and Feet
Plant your heel and roll through your foot.

5. Breathing and heart rate
Your breathing should be even and steady. Your heart should be thumping, but focus on keeping the beats steady and regular.

Here is the perfect example of poor stroller form:

Exercise of the Week: Lateral Tricep Extension

2008-06-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start sharing the Exercise of the Week from Stroller Strides Fitness Director, Farel Hruska. This week is a Lateral Tricep Extension. Here is what Farel says:

This is an exercise which strengthens the Triceps through extension at the elbow, however, it is a lateral movement versus the usual ways Triceps are exercised.

Start with your clients holding their arms up with a 90 degree bend at the elbows and the tube in front of their face. It's important to start with tension in the tube between their hands.

As they extend the arms, cue a tight contraction in the Triceps at the end of the extension. Once this movement is mastered, try rotating the wrists and shoulders slightly to change up the exercise.

CUES:

Feet shoulder width apart,
knees slightly bent, core engaged and shoulders pulled back and down.

Go for a full extension without locking out the elbows.

BREATHE

MODIFICATIONS:

To lessen the intensity, perform this exercise without tubing.

To increase the intensity, add some lower body work.

Pimp My Stroller

2008-06-06T19:09:00.001-07:00

So my shipment from Stroller Strides Corporate arrived late yesterday. In the big box was my double tray and the Strollometer. It was so exciting! I don't think I could possibly get one more accessory on that stroller.

I have to admit that the tray is rather high. If my guys were little, it would total impair their view. Luckily, they are tall enough to see over the tray and enjoy the view while we do all of our exercising.

Now to the Strollometer......I don't know if you say it strol-o-meter or strol-a-meter. So when I talk about it, I say it both ways. Since we finally got everything assembled last night a little after 10, I was too tired to actually read the directions. So when I got to class today, we messed around with it a little bit, but didn't figure out too much. After this blog entry, I am headed back to the assembly center (the living room) to find the directions and read up on the functions.

I am really excited about keeping track of the mileage we cover during our classes!

Picking a Jogging Stroller

2008-06-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Picking the right stroller for you is sorta like picking the right pair of jeans. Luckily, it is much easier to test out somebody else's stroller rather than their jeans.

I never had the need for a single stroller, so I can admit to not being very knowledgeable on that topic. My first didn't have the turney wheel in the front and if you have the opportunity to get one with a pivoting wheel in the front, go for it!

Of course you have to consider your cargo too. If you have twins, like me, the weight and ease of the stroller makes a big difference. My BOB Revolution Dualie feels like I am pushing nothing and both of my guys are nearly 30lbs each.....if not already 30lbs.

Attending a Stroller Strides class is a GREAT way to test out other jogging strollers. There are so many options of strollers that come to class and the owners will have no problem sharing the pros and cons of their stroller choices.

Exercising After Pregnancy

2008-06-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

Its so true! Exercising post pregnancy isn't the first thing that comes to mind for most of us. Well, certainly not me! I had twins nearly 2 years ago and I slept whenever I had a chance! However, once I got my two guys into a good routine and sleeping mostly through the night, it did strike me that it was probably time to start exercising again.

As it turns out, exercising was probably the best thing I could have been doing for my body. This seems totally logical, but not only did it get me to actually do something that day, exercising again helped me to raise my metabolism to burn that extra fat my body stored (well, because I ate it) during my pregnancy.

As it turns out, the average pregnant woman gains 20 -30 pounds during pregnancy and then loses about 20 of it that first month postpartum. The last 10 is the hardest part to lose. Well, what if you gained 80+ pounds? Now what? Luckily I lost about 70 of it when I went back for my 6 week well mommy check up. What a relief!!

Then the hard work began for me. I sat at home for about 7 more months before I got my hiney in gear and joined a Stroller Strides class. I drove in traffic for about 30 minutes get there, but it was worth it!

Crunches: We Love to Hate Them!

2008-06-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

While many of us completely despise crunches, they are a necessary evil when getting rid of that baby belly. But are they?

Are there other exercises we can do to instead of crunches to get our stomachs back in shape? YES! There are plenty of other exercises we can do get our stomachs tighter. One of my favorites is reverse crunch. If you find that your neck starts to hurt while doing crunches, this is the exercise for you! While you are on your back and your hands out to your side for support, make your legs straight with your bottom of your feet facing up. Does that even make sense? Here is a picture of what I am talking about.

Once you're in this position, Slowly contract your abdominals while bringing
your knees toward your chest. Be sure to lift your glutes off the ground using your lower abs...

This is one of my standard ab exercises that everyone loves to hate towards the end of class.

Initials, Inc.

2008-06-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

So this has nothing to do with my Stroller Strides, but I did something a little crazy this weekend. I became a Creative Partner for Initials. Inc! I've been thinking about doing this for a while! It all started last November when I went to my POTATO (Parents of Twins and Triplets Org) meeting.

It was the annual vendor fair and I really just planned on checking a few things out, but not actually BUYING anything. Then I saw the Initials Inc. table. Man did I just LOVE the stuff! Cute bags that you could customize with your initials or name or just about anything (14 letters max) you wanted on the bag.

Moss-Wright Park Goodlettsville Stroller Strides

2008-05-31T19:50:00.000-07:00

So Saturdays class meets at Moss-Wright Park in Goodlettsville 9:15-10:15. The park has some great trails and tons of equipment to use for our exercises. Today we did some quick cardio on the steps in front of the Bowen Plantation.

It is sorta funny to be doing all of this moder exercise with all of the historic reinactment going on around us.

Stroller Striding in the Heat of Nashville

2008-05-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

Despite the heat, the ladies were out today in full force working up a sweat. Sweating is a good thing though when you're working out. To me, it let's me know that I am actually doing something. It really makes you appreciate cold drinks too!

Being that it was Friday, our class had the lovely privledge of the music coming from the Snack Shack. It is always nice to have music when you're doing your warm-up. It sorta gets the mommies into the swing of thing. The kiddos really enjoy the music too.

Class went great as usual. We ended with some fun sprints that we did one at a time. While one mommy was doing her sprint, the rest of us used our imaginary jumpropes. It was quite a workout!

Stroller Strides at Centennial Park

2008-05-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

So its finally happened! Stroller Strides has made its way to downtown Nashville at Centennial Park. This is probably one of the BEST parks in Nashville to have class. You can see the Parthenon in the background of the picture to the left. The class meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 9:30-10:30.

I was lucky enough to have my mom come to visit us from Maryland for my Grand Openings that week. I am not positive, but I think that she was pretty impressed that I have actually started doing this whole Stroller Strides thing. Plus, she got to see me in action. Just hearing about it doesn't do it justice. The whole warm-up, stretch, power walking, and muscle toning exercises are a little hard for people to imagine.......especially when you have some babies in tow.

Speaking of babies, I think that my guys really do enjoy Stroller Strides. I am surprised at the all the songs they know already. I sometimes hear them counting and giving one another instructions from their cribs. "One, two, up, down!" That's what I wake up to in the mornings and I just imagine them in their yelling out their instructions from one crib to the other across the room. It is so funny!