These days, it’s rare to see a person workout solo at The Forks.
Lately, we've noticed that many different groups come together for exercise at The Forks. We're pretty excited about that, it's what we’re all about - having a place for everyone.
Whether you’re a new Mom with a baby, a senior living your best retired life, or sneaking in sprints across the Esplanade Bridge at 6:14am - there seems to be a fitness community for everyone at The Forks.
We recently chatted with two groups: the Senior I AM Fitness class and Fit 4 Two stroller fitness class to hear more about their workouts at The Forks.
Here’s what they shared with us:
On group workouts:
“It’s good to have company. I don’t have anybody at home to encourage me. If I just say I don’t feel like doing it, I don’t do it.”
“It’s nice to get out. If I stay home I just sleep. With this class I have to get up and leave the house. I get to do exercise with my friends, which I really like.”
“It’s more fun.”
On keeping the habit:
“I got my energy back! I can do things now! Before I was bored at home. It’s nice to socialize.”
“Gets me out of the house in the morning. And there you go, for one hour, it’s not bad. I love it.”
“You workout, even if you only workout for half the time because your baby is fussing, it’s still better than nothing.”
On the workout:
“The biggest thing, the class took the guesswork out for me. I was worried, ‘could I do this?’, but I know that it was all safe for postpartum which was really encouraging."
“You can go at your own pace. When I was newly postpartum, there’s always modifications. It’s nice that you can start slowly where your body is at. The feeling is different for everyone.”
On mental health:
“Some days, just getting out of the house is an achievement. Packing up the stroller and getting to The Forks is empowering. Especially in the middle of winter.”
“I remember coming home after the first class and saying to my husband I feel like me again. It was so nice to move my body and feel strong again.”
On support:
“I walked into class today and said “who knows anything about teething?”
“It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that hasn’t slept for one month, or two months or nine months."
On motivation:
“Frances who is 90 can do better jumping jacks than I can.”
“It’s fun. The music. Just to hear the music, it makes me move.”
“I’m not sitting at home watching TV. This is better.”
On finding community:
“We made friends here. We say hello and before you know it, we know each other. I love it.”
“It’s nice to be around other moms and have others babies around. You don’t feel so alone. Being a Mom can be a little bit lonely sometimes. It’s not a lot of adult interaction.”
“It’s like a Mom sounding board.”
On aging and working out:
“Sometimes in the morning when I get up I’m achey, but I know that when I get here I am going to enjoy the class.”
“I’m 72 years old and I have aches and pains already, but since I started doing the exercise here I feel better. Before I couldn’t move my fingers, but now it’s good. And I socialize with my friends. We’re thankful for that.”
“It’s extremely important to move while I age. Otherwise, I can’t move.”
On working out with a baby:
“It’s a break for Moms too when they are (the babies) entertained and looking around.”
“After class he’s ready for lunch. And there’s other kids in the same boat. It’s so nice to know that we can put him in a highchair and have space to hang out and have coffee.”
“You can change your baby. Feed your baby. Whatever you need to do to look after your baby. You can stop to do it.”
“It’s nice not to have to worry about a crying baby.”
“He loves watching me do jumping jacks in front of him. He thinks it’s funny.”
On having an accessible space:
“It’s hard to go to a gym when you have a baby.”
“It’s nice to have space for strollers. It’s never an issue for strollers.”
Thanks so much for chatting with us, I AM Fitness and Fit 4 Two! We love being a part of your healthy lifestyle. Want to find your fitness community at The Forks? Check out our events calendar for a listing of the classes happening this month.