Neighbor Mark Anthony Introduces Stroller Workouts In The Parade Ground

When Jennifer Vanden Bosch (pictured above with her son) suggested that fitness instructor and neighbor Mark Anthony put together a “stroller sculpting” class that parents could do with their children, he asked some other parents, and it turned out a lot of people were interested. So Mark, owner of Primo Health Solutions, recently started up classes that meet in the Parade Ground — Mondays and Wednesdays at 9am, and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30am. And so far, it’s going great.

“I really did see a benefit of bringing a group stroller fitness class to the south end of the park so parents could take their fitness to the next level while still being with their kids,” Mark told us. “I also think it sets a good example for the kids that fitness is an important aspect in life by seeing their parents participate.”

Mark answered a few questions about the workout, what you can expect if you go for a class, and where he’s likely to be found in the neighborhood when he’s not teaching classes.

What’s the workout like?

It’s a combination of using resistance bands to strengthen your arms, back, and core muscles and a cardio workout involving calisthenics like jumping jacks, hopping up and down, step-ups on the curb, and P90X moves. The workout usually start with a warm-up and stretching, then we move through the park, stopping in certain areas to perform a set of 3-4 exercises — usually 2 resistance band exercises and 1-2 cardio exercises — then move on so the child does not get too bored of being in the same place for too long. While on the move, we can perform lunges, hops, and other leg strengthening exercises. There is also a circular resistance band that wraps around one’s legs to develop excellent leg strength, especially in the upper gluteal muscles (where many moms have asked me for help). Most workouts finish with an abdominal/core workout by entering one of the turf fields and performing sit-ups and other core strengthening exercises.

How does it involve the child?

The kids unfortunately do not get to participate as much as I wish. Mostly they sit in the stroller and watch their parent or guardian perform the workout. I have the participants count the repetitions out loud so it creates a learning environment. Most children are between the ages of 6 months to 2 years, which can make a huge difference in the level of activity the kids can do. Therefore it’s harder to create a workout that involves them.

I am in the process of seeing what I can do to develop an exercise play time for the kids on one of the turf fields. Perhaps they can chase their parent or guardian around, or we could bring soft throw toys for them to develop catching and throwing skills. I place a lot of concentration on keeping the class moving so the kids can be entertained.

I am also very open to suggestions on ways to keep a child entertained for a full hour in the stroller. I know that all kids are unique and some do better than others in this type of situation. I do my best to remember all of the kids’ names and call out to them and clown around with them just to be entertaining. But this class is really for the adult. It’s mostly for the adult to have just a bit of “me time” while masking it as a form of mild entertainment for the kids.

How tough is the workout? Will parents who haven’t had much time to work out lately be able to keep up?

The beauty of resistance bands is that they are very accommodating to a large group of people with different fitness levels. So it’s up to the individual person on how tough they want to make the workout for themselves, increasing or decreasing resistance as needed. Most cardio is done in spurts of energy and time (about 45-90 seconds). The individual can elect to take it easy or give maximum effort.

I’m also not into being sadistic. I’m all about taking them right up to where they are comfortable and maybe getting them to dig just a little deeper to feel accomplished.

Parents who have not worked out lately should have no problem keeping up. For one thing, there is little to no running. Mostly because I broke my right kneecap in four different places in a motorcycle accident and developed an 18-inch-long blood clot in my left leg. Running is rather painful and not a whole lot of fun. So for better or worse, the class participants can be pretty certain that running is not going to be a part of the workout. I also designed the classes to be open to as many people as possible. Creating a humbling workout is not part of the class’ design.

What’s the reaction from participants been like so far?

Very encouraging. I had a dad, Dan Loomis, take the class last Thursday and he said it was “awesome.” He said he wanted a tough upper body workout, and that’s just what I gave him.

Three moms that took my very first class said:

“It was a good mix of cardio and strength training so I got a great workout and best of all he keeps it moving so the kiddos are entertained — my son got a big kick out watching me do the exercises.” –Jennifer Vanden Bosch

“I took a class on Monday and loved it. I brought my toddler in a stroller and my 4.5 year old as well, who was really interested in exercising with us and trying out the resistance bands. So, long story short, the class is not just for parents who have kids in strollers, older little kids will get a kick out of it too.” — Bryna Bilanow

“He’s a super-easy-going teacher who is open to whatever adjustments you need to make. It’s a very unintimidating way to get back into shape for those who have been away from the gym for a while.” — Ann Farrar

What’s your background in health and fitness?

I spent the last 7 years refining my skills as a Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor (CMTA) with friends and family before I launched Primo Health Solutions in October of 2011. My work as a CMTA deals in reducing stress on the body using a variety of tools to create a personalized approach to building health. The most important approach to reducing stress is creating a personalized diet plan based on one’s individual metabolic body chemistry. Then I use various techniques to examine the function of one’s body to uncover stress, or blocking factors, and systematically remove them, mostly using targeted supplementation.

I decided to become a personal trainer last December because I wanted to round out my skill-sets and be able to offer my clients total health packages. I became a P90X Certified Personal Trainer in January and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer last March.

I have always been active. Being the youngest of three boys, I had to work hard to keep up with my dad and two older brothers. We grew up in the Seattle area, snow skiing, snow boarding, water skiing, mountain biking, windsurfing, and skateboarding. In addition, I swam competitively in junior high and high school. So I hardly ever stopped moving growing up and still do to this day.

I recently learned to surf with the Stoked program, a not-for-profit that uses board sports to teach at risk high school students valuable life skills. In the winter, I teach the students how to snowboard, and how to skateboard in the spring and fall.

Mark and Lucy, via Facebook

You’re a fairly new dad yourself. What has been the most challenging thing about staying in shape since your son was born, and how have you managed to keep fit?

I have been blessed with a beautiful and VERY active boy named Maddox. He learned to crawl at 6 months, was walking at 11, then running at 13 months. Many parents and nannies have seen me use Maddox as a weight set in Lark and the Cortelyou Library. (However, I do not promote this as one wrong move can be very detrimental to the child).

Because we have a furry 4-legged daughter named Lucy, a 7-year-old female pit bull, I often have to walk a few hours a day. Most people know that walking alone can provide a modest amount of exercise. Lucy plays a mean game of tug-o-war also that can give me a good workout. I also dare not say it, but the YMCA is the best deal in town, you get free child care and a full gym for a modest price.

My greatest challenge to staying in shape is probably just like everyone else’s: time and motivation. I get the same 24 hours in a day as all the other people in the world. I have to manage my time to fit in fitness training. I am also very easily swayed away from “working out.” I need my fitness activities to be fun or I’m just not going to do them. If I workout in a group, then I am 10 times more likely to stay than if I did it on my own. Hence, one of the greatest reasons I started Stroller Sculpting.

Where’s your favorite place to spend time with your son in the neighborhood?

One of my most favorite places for me and my son to spend time in the neighborhood is right on our couch when he’s sleeping soundly on my chest. I know I don’t have many more days before they are gone. But if we are not on the couch, then we love going to Lark to watch The Dad Beats or Lloyd, We also have a favorite spot in Prospect Park by the lake were we meet our good friends to share in joys of life. It’s those times that the world seems so perfect.

Anything else people should know about the classes?

Come with a can-do attitude and focus only on what you accomplished for the day. I admire far more the people that put forth the effort to grow than the people that are “naturals.” I would love to have a class full of Rudy Ruettigers that give it their all for 5 dips than the naturals that did 50% to achieve 25 dips.

I am also very open to suggestions. I feel that this class belongs to Ditmas Park and the surrounding neighborhoods than to me. Remember, it was not my original idea. Jennifer Vanden Bosch gave me the idea, the parents supported me, and I followed their lead.

Stroller Sculpting currently meets four times a week at the Parade Ground. Each class costs $10, but the first class is free for each new participant, and a free class can be earned after completing 10 paid classes. For more info, see the class page or contact Mark@primohealthsolutions.com.

Photos by Mark Anthony