Photography by La La Photography STL, Sara Poyfair
Chrishina Crawford and Christianah Akinduro
One morning, after working out at the YMCA, Christianah Akinduro and Chrishina Crawford went to Panera for breakfast. Akinduro, whose child was under 1 at the time, told Crawford, who is also a mom to a 9-year-old and 11-year-old, that she wished she could bring her baby to early-morning workout sessions. Together, they looked up whether there was an exercise class that could accommodate little kids. They found Fit4Mom—a franchise that offered workouts that involve babies—but the closest one was in Fairview Heights, Illinois, and that was too far of a drive. The women felt like St. Louis needed a kid-friendly workout option. “If there was ever a time that we needed something like this, we need it now, soon after the pandemic, Crawford remembers thinking. “I noticed that St. Louis is one of those towns where a lot of people move here. We have a lot of corporate offices here, tech startups, and things like that. There are a lot of moms here who don't know anybody. We felt like there was a strong need to at least try to bring this back to the community.”
Akinduro and Crawford launched their own Fit4Mom at the end of October. Here’s more about the kid-friendly exercise experience.
Photography by La La Photography
The first Fit4Mom class, which took place outside. It now meets in the Galleria Mall.
What kind of workout can you expect from Fit4Mom? Akinduro and Crawford are offering a 60-minute Stroller Strides workout. Your kiddo needs to be in a stroller or wagon, and the class is divided up into different stations. Each station is a different move, and as moms switch stations, they might be doing different exercises, like lunges, to get there. Each station has a “Mama Move,” an exercise where moms sing a song or count to involve the kids. “While moms are doing their moves, I’m blowing bubbles with the kids,” Crawford says. “I bring little stuffies so if somebody gets cranky, I'll pull out the stuffie and have him talk to them. It's different than a normal workout. It’s not like Club Fitness. There’s a very different vibe.”
Does the workout offer modifications? Every move has a modified move, says Crawford, and she always shows the class the modified move. “So the jumping jack,” she uses as an example. “The modified move would be not jumping. You're moving your arms, you're going in a circle, but then you're quickly walking.”
Where does the class meet? Winter sessions are located at the Galleria Mall. Enter through the doors by the Cheesecake Factory. “I didn't realize how great it was gonna be, but it's pretty awesome,” Crawford says about meeting in the mall. “I had class this morning, and when we're outside, sometimes the kids will get a little bit antsy. But in the mall, there was so much to look at, there was so much stimulation, that they were just quiet.” You can find a Fit4Mom schedule here.
What else can you expect from a Fit4Mom class? Often, Crawford will bring coloring sheets or crafts for kids to do after the class, though there’s no expectation that you have to stay later. Akinduro and Crawford are also doing a monthly mom’s gathering, like a brunch, and a quarterly gathering for moms, in addition to a playdate outside of class. “We just feel like moms don't get attention,” Crawford says. “We're constantly doing things for our families, for our children, for our significant others, but nobody's really doing much for us. That's why every quarter we felt like we wanted to do something special for the moms that are our members.”
How much is a membership? Fit4Mom is running a New Year's special: $65 a month for a membership with no activation fee (the regular membership price is $105). Akinduro and Crawford will also offer a special of three personal training sessions for $100 (the regular price is $200).
