Do I need a jogging stroller?

[LAParent]

Do I really need to buy one of those expensive jogging stroller to take long exercise walks with my baby? Have any of you managed without one? I've also read that you have to wait until the baby is 6 months before you can even use a jogging stroller.

And, if I really do need one, can anyone recommend a brand?

 

[cjbate]

I found that without a jogging stroller, it was too hard on my forearms to do any kind of a real exercise walk, with a regular stroller. It is also very very hard on the (normal) stroller that you try and do that with, it would probably wear out a lot quicker. I think they are worth the money (the jogging ones) but you should be able to easily find a used one. I don't have a good recommendation on a brand....I don't know that there is a clear industry leader.

You of course don't HAVE to have one but I think you'll want one depending on how often you do exercise that way...also depends on how fast you like to walk, but then again, I don't jog either and I still wanted one and got one.

I found that the newborns had a hard time in them (I have 3 kids), they sort of slumped in them, until they were about 3 or 4 months old. You could probably do short walks in them though, before then, if the baby is comfortable...depends on the kid. You could also add some extra padding or something. Waiting til 6 months is overkill probably for those issues.

HTH
Jen

 

[StaceyDeLapp]

I absolutely LOVE my jogging stroller! With my first, we didn't opt to buy one. I used my regular stroller, but my husband and I started to go for 4-mile walks all the time. My stroller got thrashed and it was SO hard to push. We decided the second time around that we were going to do it right, and we ended up getting a very nice double-jogger with a detachable rain cover. We used it all the time, and still use it with my daughter occassionally. She still fits in it perfectly fine, we are just so busy that it is harder for us to manage walks now, especially with my oldest being 7 and needing to ride his bike now when we go for a walk vs. using the stroller. We have a great boardwalk along the water in the City that I live in which was our favorite place for walking, but I don't feel comfortable with my son on his bike down there, so we mostly use it in our neighborhood now (it has a convenient 1 mile loop, but it's just not as fun to walk around the neighborhood 4 times as it was to be down in the pretty scenic downtown area.

With a new baby coming though, I'm sure I will pull it out more and more. I think Connor was about 5 or even 6 when we stopped putting him in it, so I would say that we would have 80 lbs in the stroller and it was still very nice to push. Hills were a bit more of a challenge, but we could still easily do them.

We put Annelise in the stroller from the time she was newborn on up. The thing I really like about my brand is it has 2 different settings for straps and it also has zippers on the back of each seat so you can adjust for the baby to be fully reclined or sitting up. She was perfectly save. I would even strap her in with the Baby Bjorn on so I could front pack her if necessary. I think that most of the concern with regards to the babies being older is if you are on rough terrain and running more than walking. My stroller is a Kool Stride. It compacts down totally flat (you can even take the back tires off if you want and they are easy to get on and off). I got it at The Right Start (I'm 99% sure that that is the correct name of the store).

Hope that helps.

 

[mogambo]

I never used one, but I lived in Tahoe the first 2 years of my daughter's life, and I would just heave her up into the steep trails at a quick pace, passing her from arm to arm. Upper body, lower body and cardio all in one.

My friend Karin, who is an adept runner, has always used a jogging stroller. She can put 2 kids in there and push them along and still run the pants off of me! She couldn't live without it. She takes it on asphalt, gravel roads, everywhere. So, it depends on how much you want to run. I think it's great if you can use it. It's not a waste of money. I managed to work around it, but I also had the Sierra Nevada to help me out.

 

[melanalyus]

I LOVE my Baby Jogger. I cannot do videos as much as before b/c little one won't let me,...he will let me jog in a stroller though. I"d recommend the most expensive one you can afford...as quality goes along with price (shockwise). If it's comfortable you'll be more opt to use it & the price per use will be less (this is how I decided to purchase one).
I put mine in Baby Jogger brand at 6weeks. I got a Snuzzler to go in it.
Good luck!

**Melanie**
Justin born 1/17/04
Jory born 4/9/94

" Take care of your body like it will last a lifetime. Take care of your soul like it will last for eternity"