Moms, Babies Train In Park 'Boot Camp'

Whether a new mother is trying to shake off childbirth blues with exercise or just finding the time to get outside, workout and be healthy—it can be a dilemma with baby in tow.

However, Darcy Zenker, 31, a Rock Hill resident (moving to Warson Woods soon) has solved that dilemma with mom and baby boot camp training.

Zenker says she is a workout fanatic. She owns her own company Nowfitness. And she conducts boot camp training sessions for women all over St. Louis.

Those women eager to regain their form flock to her each morning in a designated park.

Every Monday and Wednesday, promptly at 9:30 a.m. you will find anywhere from a half-dozen women to a dozen, joining Zenker to run through a workout routine—like boot camp.

No one leaves the park without having worked up a good sweat.

Zenker, a of Virden, IL, holds a bachelors degree in marketing and advertising from Southern Illinois Carbondale. But, she is a self-professed workout freak. “I played rugby and ran track in school.” she said.

After graduating she did marketing for Autohaus and Mini of Clayton. Then, after having her first child Annie (one year old on July 18) she returned to her love of physical fitness.

Fortunately, her husband Mike, an engineer at the Boeing Co., watches Annie during the evenings while she conducts more classes. She runs at least 10 boot camp training classes per week, she said.

“Yes, its physically demanding on me,” she said. That said, she’s out front, leading the run on the streets and the exercises at curbside. (See video accompanying this, click on arrow to start.)

Everything is geared toward moms and their offspring. They do exercises like mommy kicks, monkey touches, peekaboo squats, kiss your baby pushups, duck walking and mommy climbers.

She makes it loads of fun for her following.

Zenker likes to vary the location. Sometimes they are at Tilles, then other times they will train at the St.Louis Zoo, in Forest Park or along the Grant Bike trail in South County. They’ve even worked out beneath the Arch and at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.
 
Her clients hear about her services a variety of ways. She has a website, uses Groupon coupons and gets referrals primarily by “word of mouth.”

Some future customers no doubt see the group dashing with babystrollers between exercise stops.

Her workouts as much social as they are physically challenging. These moms seem to like getting out and meeting others, and sharing birthing stories.

They all have similar goals of rounding back into good physical form.

Zenker sees it as “a motivating and fun way to keep mommy healthy and baby too.” Everyone comes equipped with the latest baby strollers and places to store drinks, baby toys and arm weights.

If that’s not enough, Zenker is a marathon runner, recently running in the Nashville Rock ‘N Roll event and the Chicago Bank of America marathon.

Here's who joined the boot camp workout this week in Tilles Park:

• Kate Leslie, Chesterfield, with Evie, 21 months
  
• Ellen Weiss, Brentwood with Eamon, 7 months
• Cassandra Maloney, Creve Coeur with Dylan, 3 months
• Kasey Puyear, St. Louis City with Raef, 4 years
• Andrea Guzman, Fenton with Adrianna, 8 months
• Dana Garcia, St. Louis City with Clara, 8 months
• Jaclyn Hasan, Kirkwood with Ian, 9 months
• Amy Carre, Maryland Heights with Xavier, 9 months
• Maggie Eisenbeis, Ladue, with Jake 17 month
• Ann Cohen, Ladue, with twins Ben and Charlie, 24 months
• Estella Shau, St. Ann with Logan, 24 months
• Jennifer Putnam, St. Louis City with Stella 13 months

Best ways to reach Zenker: 314-809-4169 and nowfitness@hotmail.com.