By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp www.babybootcamp.com

Extra calories are lurking around in holiday sweets, drinks and unusually large meals. An extra cookie here, a little egg nog there...it all adds up...to about 7 to 12 pounds by January! I don't know about you, but that's not how I want to spend my New Year. The holidays are about family, friends and fun. Instead of depriving yourself and paying the price later, follow our tips for a happy and healthy New Year!

According to a study published in the July 2012 Journal of Physical Activity and Health, when parents increase their activity levels, so do their children. Running outside with your children in tow not only helps you achieve your own fitness goals, it encourages kids to be active. Fitting in running while raising small children can be challenging, but with a little preparation and patience you can achieve your running goals in no time.

So you had a baby, and along with all of the coos and cuddles, oohs and aahs, comes the realization that maybe you should get some fresh air!  Some exercise maybe? A stroll in the park? How about a light hike on the trail?  All sound like great ideas for new moms, but will your stroller live up to your newly found active mommy lifestyle?  Being active before, during and especially after pregnancy is vital to any new mom’s overall well-being. Including your baby in outdoor activities is a great way to regain that pre-pregnancy shape and ward off the baby blues. 

By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp

Being a mom is a full time job. Add a full time job to that, and you may wonder how to find time for anything, let alone fitness. Being a full time working mom who would like to maintain her sanity, requires careful planning and execution. Organizing your home life just as you do your work life won’t give you more hours in your day, but it will help you be more productive with your available hours. Here are my tips to help working moms stay organized and find time for fitness.

By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp

The weather is improving and we’re all excited to get outside! With summer weather approaching fast, a little sunshine and fresh air will do you (and your little one) a world of good. Our stroller-based interval workout will take you 15-20 minutes to complete, (not including warm-up and cool down).

Speed limits. Backyard fences. Seatbelts. Instructions. Baby gates. Warning labels. Does that list make you cringe thinking, “Rules, rules, rules! What about carpe diem? Don’t fence me in!”  Maybe a list of limits or restrictions makes you feel like stretching your wings a little bit.

By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp

I was never a runner. During pregnancy and for the next few years, I learned to love walking. I walked miles and miles and miles with my kids in their double stroller. When we moved from California to Florida in 2005, I started jogging my kids to pre-school in their double stroller... mostly because we were running late. But the flat, paved path from our house to their school was a nice way to spend the morning together, while they enjoyed their breakfast.

By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp
It’s not easy being a mom. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, and the never ending pile of laundry… and the paycheck? Well, it certainly doesn’t cover the cost of a personal trainer. Short on time? Too tired to exercise? Without exercise, you’ll be left with little energy to make it through your day. Follow these 3 simple steps to break the cycle and spring into a new fitness routine, so you make it through your day with more energy and better sleep (just what every mom needs!)

By Kristen Horler, CEO & Founder of Baby Boot Camp, babybootcamp.com
As a new mom, you may wonder how you are going to find time for fitness. With our 'Baby Boot Camp Winter Workout', cold weather (or your little one) won’t prevent you from getting your exercise in. The exercises below require no equipment! Just your baby, and if she cooperates, you’ll be done in nine minutes or less!

Written by Cassidy Carow from Panama City Florida - a Baby Boot Camp franchise owner who is also participating in the MOLO challenge (USA).
Mountain Buggy terrain is the official chosen jogging stroller for Baby Boot Camp.

We’ve all heard the phrase “No man is an island.” There are times as the mother of a toddler and a baby that I might beg to differ with John Donne. Motherhood can be a simultaneously joyful and challenging role to fill and it can also feel lonely at times.