Dunnavant Valley mother starts stroller-friendly fitness classes

At Leslie Jackson’s iStroll fitness classes, having a kid in a stroller isn’t an obstacle — it’s part of the workout.

iStroll is a regional company that offers fitness classes designed for parents of young kids, from infants up to age 5. Jackson, a Dunnavant Valley area resident and mother of 2-year-old Ford and 1-year-old Ruth, started iStroll’s Birmingham classes in June.

The one-hour classes meet Monday and Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at Olmsted Park in Mt Laurel and Wednesdays at the same time at Veterans Park in Hoover. Jackson also leads a monthly class at The Summit and includes occasional craft activities or trips to the North Shelby Library after class. It’s a social activity, both for the parents and the kids.

“It’s self-care. It serves the mom because they’re getting to come and exercise and do something for themselves,” Jackson said.

Jackson has been a fitness trainer for nine years and has led a variety of classes. She currently teaches yoga classes at a gym in addition to iStroll.

Jackson said showing kids healthy habits and involving them in those workouts at a young age can build the foundation for better health as they grow.

“The parents are setting a really good example for our youth at an early age, which is something that’s important to me, too,” Jackson said.

A typical iStroll workout includes four sets of cardio, strength and movement exercises. The individual workouts within those sections changes all the time to work different muscle groups, she said. Some exercises can be done using the different parts of the stroller, such as walking lunges, toe taps and pushups, as well as running laps. 

Kids can also get involved in the exercises in different ways, such as doing them alongside parents or fetching beach balls with exercises written on them for the parents to do. Jackson has even incorporated arm workouts into singing “Happy and You Know It.”

“We like to keep the kids and the babies moving at all times. I really feel like that is one thing that makes iStroll unique, that the kids aren’t just sitting in the stroller the whole time. We try to engage them, incorporate them and keep the stroller moving as much as possible,” she said.

Throughout the workout, Jackson said she’s conscious that it’s a class meant for people with young kids. It’s not uncommon for a parent to step out of an exercise for a minute to take care of their child’s needs or entertain them. Workouts can also be modified in intensityand pacing.

“There’s no pressure to just keep pushing through. If you need to stop and tend to your kid and then jump back in the workout, you can do that at any time,” Jackson said.

Since starting in June, Jackson said she’s built a small group of regular moms who attend, but she wants to add more. She also is considering more classes at The Summit or new locations such as Heardmont Park.

iStroll’s first class is free, and it costs $8 to drop in, $35 for five classes, $60 for 10 classes or $45 monthly for unlimited classes, which is usable by the whole family. Jackson asks that participants bring a mat and hand weights to the class, and she provides other needed equipment.

“It’s a built-in play date. We’ve made friends through iStroll. I’ve made mom friends, [my kids] have made friends of their own. So we’re outside, we’re around friends and we’re getting some exercise,” Jackson said.

Learn more about iStroll at istroll.co/birmingham--al.html.