KELOWNA, B.C. — When Becky Facca loaded her two young kids into the double stroller and walked at least 20 minutes a day, the weight she’d gained during her pregnancy just melted away.
“It was great. I was back into my regular size 4 in no time,” says Facca, a Kelowna, B.C., stay-at-home mom. “But when I had my third child (Grace), I still pushed the stroller, but the baby weight wasn’t coming off.”
It then dawned on Facca that the difference was that her new regime included just one child in the stroller.
“I needed extra weight in the stroller to give me that additional workout,” she says.
With her two older kids now in school they couldn’t be used as stroller baggage anymore, so she strapped ankle and wrist weights to Grace’s stroller and strode off. The breakthrough has become a business for Facca — Push Stroller Fitness System.
The ankle and wrist weights have been replaced with colourful nylon strap-on bags with compartments for sparkly tube weights.
Facca sells the funky 22 piece sets for $99 each, complete with an initial setup and consultation and a printed program of how to use the stroller weights to achieve fitness and weight-loss goals.
A case could be made for tossing a dumbbell in the bottom of the stroller and adding resistance that way.
“Well, that would be no fun, now, would it?” says Facca with a laugh. “The bags I’ve designed have a great abstract design and are specially made to Velcro nicely onto the back frame of a stroller. The weight is totally adjustable by putting half-pound (250-gram) iron weights into the designated holders. I even spray paint the iron in sparkly colours to give the set some extra bling.”
The program Facca has developed suggests new moms strike out on a flat route for 30 minutes three times a week with baby and just 500 grams (one pound) of extra weight.
Weight is increased and the route can get longer and hillier as time progresses to jack up the workout.
Facca also recommends moms eat healthily to maximize fitness and weight loss.
The total weight system is only 4.5 kilograms (10 pounds), which doesn’t sound like much, but provides the extra needed to make the exercise a fat burner, according to Facca.
“Plus, you get to spend time with your baby. It’s the best of both worlds,” she says.
Grace is now four and 40 pounds and an integral part of Facca’s workouts. Grace enjoys her rides with 4.5 kilograms of Push Stroller Fitness System on jaunts as short as 20 minutes or as long as one hour.
Facca’s business started with selling to moms she knows and has grown with word-of-mouth referrals.
She’s now ready to get into a wider market by going mail-order.
On the Net: Push Stroller Fitness System, www.getpushfit.com.