“Restore the Core” class for moms

Wendy Hoag’s positive, and friendly personality can’t be taught. She teaches various workout classes for moms, including “Restore the Core,” which I participated in on June 8 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Color Me Mine in Elk Grove.
Hoag is a Certified Fitness Instructor with separate certifications for the various types of exercise she does. Her encouragement and fun attitude made working out more enjoyable. She was immediately welcoming and helped everyone with their form throughout the workout. She adjusted my form when I needed it too.
I’ve taken numerous Pilates and yoga classes over the last 10 years, and Hoag’s moves are some of the most effective and fun to do.
The “Restore the Core” class is for expecting moms-to-be and women who have had babies. I am neither, but I was curious about the moves that would “restore” one’s abs after pregnancy. The tough moves had my legs and arms shaking rather ungracefully, but I can see how doing these exercises on a regular basis would tone the core and help posture. One mom sitting next to me said she sits up straighter in her car now that she takes this class.
“Restore the Core” was done barefoot on cute children’s mats with animals and letters. These are the kind of mats I imagine would be in a child’s nursery. We aligned our spines along the ruler print in the middle of the mat and put our feet between two letters or animal prints on either side.
The class was not a sweat session, but an enjoyable yet challenging toning workout. The lights were dimmed for most of the workout. And the doors of the studio were wide open; making the class feel like it was outside because of the nice breeze flowing inside. I made a mental note of some moves Hoag used and will try to incorporate them on a regular basis now. They worked!
I am pretty sore today, not uncomfortably sore though. I will still take a walk this evening. I can tell the class worked more than just my abdominals. My inner thighs are painin’ too. That must be from using the “mommy muscle balls” to squeeze between my knees while executing the moves.
Hoag said the first class is usually hard because people may not know the moves yet. The second class can be harder because now you know the moves and are doing them correctly, so the workout gets tougher. But after several weeks participants can see a big difference in their bodies.
This workout evens out the two sides of the body. Because activities like driving or cradling a baby on one side, the body may not always tone evenly. This class helps to even out the muscle definition, she said.
Class participant Amanda Hixson said she’s “getting slimmer all the time.”
Her goal is to get back into pre-baby shape and get stronger because she injured her back.
Hixson is a physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente. She said Hoag’s style of teaching ab workouts is the best.
“This is the only stability class I’ve taken that takes into account your back safety,” she said.
Hixson enjoys the class so much she will continue to take it throughout her next pregnancy.
“I want to stay stronger so my next pregnancy is easier and recovery is easier,” she said.
For more information about Restore the Core classes, please visit http://www.strollerfit.com/elkgrove.