Anna Evans Launches Fit4Mom Upper Main Line
by Melissa Jacobs
Moms are superheroes inside and out … but even superheroes need to exercise. Many new moms have trouble finding time to exercise without the kids. “Just bring them with you,” says Anna Evans, owner of the new Fit4Mom Upper Main Line. “We incorporate kids and their strollers into the workout.”
Stroller Strides, Fit4Mom’s signature class, will be held in Malvern’s Greentree Park throughout the spring. The 60-minute class includes strength training, cardio and core restoration. Kids of all ages are welcome, even if they no longer use strollers. Class passes and memberships are available, plus there is a drop-in rate, and your first class is free.
Fit4Mom, which has more than 300 locations in the US, including Glen Mills/West Chester, Conshohocken/Blue Bell and Philadelphia, is about more than exercise. “One of my huge aims is to help moms create their villages,” says Evans, a mother of two kids under age 10. “We’ll be having special events about mental health, nutrition and other topics. I want to create a support network to help women with those early motherhood years.”
Evans could’ve used that help. She had a difficult pregnancy and recovery that resulted in complications and bed rest. Eager to resume her pre-pregnancy fitness routine, Evans started working out before her body had properly healed. That resulted in injury. So, Evans turned to a pelvic floor specialist, something she recommends to every new mom.
“I didn’t know what to do or not do, and subsequently got bad injuries not knowing that my body wasn’t working correctly,” Evans explains. “It’s not something they teach us about, but really should.”
During the pandemic, Evans turned her experience into a way to help other women. In September 2020, she became a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In 2021, she purchased the Fit4Mom franchise and underwent training on exercises for pregnant and post-partum bodies. “I want to change the narrative about moms and exercise,” she says. We can do it if we do it properly – and together.”