Introduce us to your family!

My husband, Andrew, and I have two kids: Cameron, 9, and Frances, 4. We also have Peppa, our pit bull (aka Peppapotamus, the North American House Hippo).

How long have you been a member of F4M Naperville? What made you come to your first class and which classes have you participated in?

I've been a member of F4M Naperville since the summer of 2017. I first tried out a Fit4Mom stroller strides class that took place at the Morton Arboretum. I loved being with other moms and exercising outside. I had a bunch of friends from Cradle Talk who had all started going to F4M Naperville stroller strides, but the idea of a larger group was a little intimidating. Lauren subbed for the arboretum instructor one morning and convinced me to try joining the Naperville classes.

I've taken Stroller Strides, Strides 360, Stroller Barre, Body Ignite and Body Boost classes.

What are your favorite things to do with your family?

We love to spend time at the arboretum and to take family bike rides. A favorite is riding from our house to Lola's in downtown Lisle for ice cream and churros. I also love doing puzzles and building Lego creations together at home or taking the kids to see children's orchestra concerts downtown. We like making snow sculptures (or sand sculptures at the beach) together, too.

What would you say to a mom considering joining our village?

It's entirely worth it, even if you feel a bit nervous or intimidated at first! The instructors can modify classes to make sure the moves work for anyone's body, and everyone is kind to beginners and new members. There's moms in our village with so many different interests, that you're basically guaranteed to find your people. You'll find the friend who's also awake in the middle of the night so you can send each other dinosaur clothing finds or the mom who loves reading the same type of books. And if you're struggling with a certain phase, there's usually multiple moms who have been through it already who will share advice.

What has been your biggest gain since joining FIT4MOM Naperville?

Strength. I've gotten physically stronger (yay, heavier weights!) and strengthened my motivation to work out. It's so much easier to make sure I get to the workouts knowing that even if I'm late, or having a tough day with the kids, there will be someone there who completely gets it. I always leave a workout in a better mood.