Fit Fam: A Workout for the Moms, A Fun Time for the Tots
The life of a stay-at-home mom is a challenging one. In Cape May County, seasonality and a more limited supply of children’s activities means that keeping the kids occupied is a little more challenging.
Julie King, a mother of two, is among the faithful whose attendance has helped sustain events like story times, open gyms, and art classes alive on Seven Mile Beach. But in these activities, King talked to other mothers and came to the conclusion that the two things missing from their weekly routines were the ability to exercise and more time to socialize with other moms. Using her knowledge and skills, and a lot of dedication and motivation, she decided to start a free, family-friendly workout class in Avalon that she named Fit Fam.
After having her two daughters – Lina, 5, and Penny, 2 – King had been working out at home and with a physical therapist to rebuild her core and pelvic-floor strength. But, in continuing her exercise after therapy, King, who also works as a physical therapist, noticed a lack of awareness in these exercise programs about the safety of core exercises during postpartum.
King realized she was not alone in her need for a workout class that was safe for new mothers, and so she started to develop workout routines to accommodate these needs, and looked for a way to share it with others who needed it. King approached the Avalon Recreation Department with her idea, and in January 2019 the first Fit Fam class was held at Community Hall.
The hall was the perfect place for the colder months, with wide-open space and the recreation department providing fun stuff like tunnels, balls, basketballs, Hula-Hoops and gym mats. What started as a once-a-week class became so well-received that it soon turned into twice a week.
As summer neared, and the weather got nicer, they moved the classes outside to the playground at 39th Street, the only fully fenced-in park in town.
The nice thing about Fit Fam is that it is welcoming to everyone. King has designed the classes to be flexible for all abilities, while still providing a nice workout.
“You can do the classes safely whe-ther you are pregnant, postpartum, or even wearing/holding your baby,” she says. “And there are modifications on most exercises to make it more intense or as easy as you need it to be.”
Each class is an hour long, and starts with a warm-up, then two rounds of 12 strengthening exercises, with cardio before and after each one to keep your heart rate elevated. Mats and 2-to-8-pound weights are available, but you can also bring your own.
“I want the class to have a relaxed and welcoming environment for new participants, and bringing your kids tends to be a great icebreaker for newcomers,” King says. “I always tell people to come even if they are running late. Some exercise is better than nothing, and we know how hard it is to get out of the house with kids.”
While being a parent and bringing kids are certainly not requirements for the class, one should expect a certain level of chaos that comes with the little ones. Parents are responsible for keeping an eye on their own children, but they are also very lucky to have the world’s greatest Gigi (Seven Mile Times contributor Jean Miersch), who plays with the kids and manages to keep them engaged in games throughout the class. King also provides the playlist, which features upbeat tunes and kids’ favorites like “It’s Raining Tacos” and songs from the soundtracks to “Frozen 2,” “Zombies” and “Descendants.” It’s recommended to bring snacks, water, and sun protection for the little ones.
Not only does Fit Fam provide a great workout that’s safe for the new mom, it also provides a bit of socialization with other adults, which can be super beneficial for a mom’s mental health.
“Having young kids can be isolating, and having this year-round activity allows for consistent interaction that you can count on each week,” King says. “I have formed some great friendships over the past year with my consistent participants, and we look forward to having our summertime participants back in June!”
The schedule changes throughout the year, so check the Avalon Recreation Facebook page for updates or sign up for constant-contact emails from Avalon Recreation for changes or cancellations.
For more information on Avalon’s Recreations activities visit avalonrecreation.org.
