Baby Boot Camp: Our exclusive interview with founder Kristen Horler

In 2001, Baby Boot Camp (BBC) founder Kristen Horler was working as a personal trainer in San Francisco when she had her first child.  The thought of putting Madison, now 6 ½, in daycare full-time so she could return to her job at the gym was not an appealing one, so Kristen did what so many ‘mompreneurs’ had done before her, and since:  She took her pre-partum skills and transformed them into a postpartum goldmine.

Now BBC, which started as a group of three moms working out in a California park, is a nationwide success.  We recently spoke with Kristen — who since founding BBC also welcomed a son, Tyler — about how she turned her dream into a reality, and about how she continues to grow the BBC brand through partnerships with select companies and their products.

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BBC began, in earnest, in a prenatal yoga class Kristen took during her pregnancy with Madison.  The women who took the class stayed in touch, and when Kristen offered to do small, group training sessions with them in the park after their babies had been born, the women were all too eager to oblige.  They showed up with their strollers and their babies in tow, and were treated to an innovative workout that combined strength-training with cardiovascular drills. 

It started as 2 days per week for 75 minutes, and they got to pay a fraction of what they would have paid for a private session.  In return, I got a workout, and I got to enjoy what I love doing — helping other women to improve their fitness level.

We say innovative because a large part of the BBC exercise regimen incorporates the weight and resistance of the stroller (and child), itself.  Also, the BBC workout places great emphasis on re-building the core strength that is lost during a pregnancy by employing yoga, Pilates and abdominal work.  It’s not only for new moms, though — the classes are run by nationally certified fitness professionals who are able to modify the workout for pregnant, post-natal and ultra-fit moms. Depending on your location and climate, classes are conducted indoors (usually at shopping malls; see photo below-left), outdoors, or a combination of both.   

Kristen’s concept for a stroller-based training session took off, and she quickly found herself fielding requests from other local moms groups who wanted to set up classes for themselves.  A fellow trainer and former co-worker moved to Dallas and asked if she could license the ‘Baby Boot Camp’ logo to start a BBC of her own; The idea was similarly well-received in Texas and since then "the phone has just kept on ringing," Kristen says.

That was almost 7 years ago.  Now we have 120 franchises and offer over 500 classes each week across the country.  We add anywhere from 6-10 new franchises every month.

BBC doesn’t do any print advertising. Instead, Kristen lets the benefits of BBC speak for themselves.  Moms who have taken a BBC class recommend it to other moms, and so on and so forth.  "It’s all done through word-of-mouth," Kristen says proudly. But Kristen also gives credit to BBC’s ability to leverage its partnerships with select companies like Kelty. After spending more than two years testing jogging strollers, Kristen ultimately chose the Kelty Speedster (read our review here; photo below-right) as BBC’s stroller of choice.

Everything came together with Kelty.  One company may have had a nice stroller, but they weren’t really the best management team to work with.  Another company might have a great management team, but the durability of the product wasn’t quite good enough.  I was very impressed with Kelty.  I’ve known the brand most of my life, being an avid camper and backpacker, so I knew that quality was extremely important to them.  When I met their corporate team, it all fell into place.

Besides being extremely easy to run with, Kristen feels that the Speedster (available as a single or double) employs safety features that are "extraordinary."  Among them, she notes, is Kelty’s decision to forego a park button on its handbrake.  Many jogging strollers have them, but Kristen says that they give runners a false sense of security — for a park button is not as reliable as engaging a rear brake. 

It’s just one of those things that not everybody notices.  But after using and testing dozens and dozens of strollers for seven years, I see what the new products are and what the safety features are, and this is one of the best.

Another company Kristen has partnered with is the Strollometer (read our review here), a nifty little wireless gadget affixed to your stroller that allows you to track the speed, duration and distance of your stroll.  Together BBC and Strollomter recently embarked on a nationwide 4-week fitness challenge:  Participants lost an average of 5.6 inches and 4 pounds, and logged a collective 5,095 miles.

The International Journal of Nursing Practice in 2004 found that participating in a stroller fitness program can reduce feelings of depression and improve physical fitness.  It makes perfect sense — exercise has always been a great mood booster, and with BBC you get to spend time with your baby in the process.  And, as a bonus, your first class is always free!  To find a class in your area, click here.