Sweating with the stroller set

The route goes past orangutans, lions and crocodiles and the pace is breakneck.

No, it’s not an episode of “The Amazing Race” in some remote African location. We’re talking Stroller Strides at the National Zoo, right smack in the middle of the District.

The participants?

New moms - working off their pregnancy pounds with strength and cardio exercises - and their babies, who spend the hour in strollers eating Cheerios, playing with their feet and, occasionally, shedding a tear or 10.

“We don’t care if your child cries the whole time,” says Amanda Marr Book, who runs Stroller Strides in the District. “Being worried about what people think is the last thing a new mom needs. … This is a safe zone.”

Stroller Strides, which was started in San Diego by mommy-fitness guru Lisa Druxman, has since its 2001 inception grown by leaps and bounds and now can be found in hundreds of locations nationwide. In the D.C. area alone, there are at least 20 locations.

What’s the appeal?

“I come because there is no way I’m going to push myself this hard if I’m working out alone,” says class participant Abigail Sharon on a recent morning while waiting next to the Kids’ Farm exhibit at the National Zoo for a class to begin.

Next to Ms. Sharon, comfortably seated in a jogger stroller, is her 1-year-old daughter, Eden, playing with her hat.

A moment later, instructors Sarah Boone and Ms. Marr Book as well as the class participants - three moms and their children seated in strollers (any kind will do, but sturdy wheels are a plus) - are off and running.

“Bring it up to a level five on a scale of one to 10,” shouts Ms. Boone, encouraging the participants to push themselves and their heart rates.

After a short run and warm-up, it’s time for speedy sprints, skips and shuffles.

“It’s like boot camp with cardio bursts,” says Ms. Boone of the 60-minute workout. The cardio bursts increase fitness level and calorie-burning, she adds.

Speaking of which, a one-hour Stroller Strides class invites participants to burn between 300 and 400 calories.

“It depends on how much energy people expend, so it does vary by person to person,” Ms. Marr Book says. “But that’s about the average.”

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