Kate Sander and her daughter Isabel, foreground, at the Jewish Community Center gym in Providence. Stroller Strides is an exercise program for mothers.

The Providence Journal / Steve Szydlowski

When Kate Sander gave birth to her daughter Isabel a year ago, she was concerned.

“I felt that I was never going to get back in shape,” she said, pushing a stroller with Isabel in the seat. “She was an 11-pound baby, and I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy.”

Today, Sander is trim and fit, and she has a new circle of friends through Stroller Strides. It’s a national program, with classes at the Jewish Community Center in Providence, aiming to nurture physical and psychological wellness through exercise and a support network of new moms.

To work off Thanksgiving Day calories, the moms will workout with their partners and other family members Saturday at 9 a.m. at the community center, 401 Elmgrove Ave. in Providence. The class is open to everyone and free for first-time visitors.

Suzanne Cadge, a former triathlete from Newcastle, England, joined Stroller Strides six weeks after she gave birth to her daughter Chloe.

That was 18 months ago. Today, Cadge owns the Stroller Strides franchise in Providence. She leads classes on Blackstone Boulevard when the air temperature is comfortable for the babies and toddlers who play important roles in their mothers’ workouts.

On a cold, wet morning, moms lie on their backs in the community center’s gym. They lift their laughing kids like barbells to tone pectoral and arm muscles.

As Baby’s weight increases, Mom’s strength increases.

The moms do jumping jacks and aerobic dances, singing to their children as they dance.

The kids watch and laugh. Little Isabel offers her mother some dry cereal from a cup.

Neile Hartman lays her eight-week-old son, Wes, on her bent legs as she does abdominal crunches. Each time Hartman crunches up, Wes gets a kiss.

Slim and athletic, Hartman has been a member of Stroller Strides for over two years –– since she gave birth to her first child.

“I have had great results, and I love it,” Hartman said. “I’m a stay-at-home mom, and for me, it was as much about meeting a network of women who gave me empathy and support and taught me all the lessons of being a mom as it was about regaining my strength. They listened to me in tears …

“Now my closest friends are people I met in this program.”

Once a month, Stroller Strides members in Providence have a Mom’s Night Out.

“You don’t realize how hard it is to be on your own when your partner is out at work,” said Suzanne Cadge after leading a class. “You really need a support network and an exchange of ideas. Everyone has different experiences, so it’s really valuable to have that network.

“It’s important to talk to someone who isn’t in diapers and dribbling. That’s huge.”

Last summer, Cadge organized a stroller-running program for more than a dozen moms. Many of them had never run before, let alone raced.

“We entered some 5Ks,” she said, “and it was really fun. The endorphins kicked in, because we were all, like, ‘When’s the next one?’ It was very rewarding for me, having been a runner, to pass on some of that knowledge, and to see those people cross the finish line with their babies. It was huge to have the babies witness this, and one day, they’ll see the photographs.

“It’s a great way to be a healthy role model for your child.”

More information about Stroller Strides is available online at strollerstrides.com.

For fees, schedules and contact information in Providence, click on “Locations.”

tmeade@projo.com