Giving birth to Jonah five years ago changed James' life. The former triathlon athlete had continued running until she was nine months pregnant. That was the easy part.

After the birth of her son, James was exhausted; completing her usual five-mile run became a difficult task.

"I needed to slow down," James says.

James still wanted to get back into shape and shed the 40 pounds she gained during her pregnancy. With the help of her neighbor and running partner, she developed a fitness regime that would balance her exercise needs while tending to her newborn.

The routine incorporated power walking with her baby stroller and body toning by using Jonah as a weight. During the 45- to 60-minute workout, James would sing and play with Jonah at stops along the way.

The Willow Glen native began developing her athletic skills while attending Lincoln High School. James, 35, ran cross country and track during her college years as well. She later added triathlons to her exercise regimen, running in the Santa Cruz Sentinel Triathlon and the Los Angeles Marathon.

James learned to maximize her workouts with exercises learned during nearly 15 years of strength training classes.

Within six months, James had dropped to her pre-pregnancy weight.

Two and a half years later, James gave birth to her daughter Talia, and found the weight was harder to shed. Talia's birth had also been more difficult, 12 hours of labor ended with a C-section. She spent the next months caring for a toddler and a colicky baby. "I was depressed," she says.

The experience inspired James to incorporate a social aspect to her new workout. Like other fitness programs geared to mothers, James envisioned a group of mothers who could exercise, socialize and compare notes on motherhood. The business venture was a perfect combination of her former life as a competitive athlete and her new life as mom, she says.

On June 1, she began StrollerStriders, a group of mothers who exercise three times a week on the Los Gatos Creek Trail.

In only a few weeks, StrollerStriders has attracted mothers from various Bay Area communities. The group meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Campbell Par Course Bridge.

Willow Glen resident Michelle Carroll was one of the first to join, accompanied by her 11-month-old, Joey. Carroll heard about StrollerStriders while shopping at The Pruneyard, where James was passing out fliers.

Carroll, who gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, still has 30 pounds to lose, but finding the motivation was difficult.

With StrollerStriders, however, the women push each other to get fit, Carroll says. The hourlong workouts also give her more energy.

"You feel better the rest of the day," Carroll says. "I feel like I did something for myself."

Joanna Eikanas agrees. When her twins, Sophia and Kielyana, were born nearly five months ago, Eikanas' schedule was chaotic. With twins, the feedings seemed endless, she says.

However, now that she and the twins are on a regular schedule, Eikanas has the freedom to spend an hour with them in the park. Eikanas says she not only likes spending time with her girls, but she enjoys the social aspect and meeting the other mothers.

"You start chatting and then you don't realize you're working out," Eikanas says.

On a weekday morning, the women gather in the park to begin a two-mile power walk. James punches the StrollerStrider cards strapped to their strollers. Each card costs $40 for 10 workouts and the first class is free. Once the business becomes profitable, James plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to the American Cancer Society.

Just Do It

James begins the two-mile walk at a strong pace, encouraging the women to walk briskly. She incorporates additional exercises into the movement, such as bicep curls and a traveling plié, both done with one hand on the stroller.

"We're going to stop here and do some squats," James says as she begins to lead the mothers through squats and lunges meant to strengthen the buttocks, hamstrings and inner and outer thighs.

Willow Glen residents Peachy Domine and Alison Railo are walking with their babies and pass the group. "You guys want to join us for StrollerStriders?" James asks.

"Sure," Domine replies, and James quickly incorporates the newcomers into the workout.

Soon, the mothers are moving along the trail, swapping stories and exchanging opinions on baby joggers and teething toys. After the mothers pass over a bridge, James leads the group into jumping jacks while singing ABC's to the children. The toning exercises continue along with the singing. Standing abdominal crunches are coupled with "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and "If You're Happy and You Know It."

James particularly focuses on the abdominal region, or the "mommy muscles." James also tells the women the importance of balancing their diet and exercise with their body's needs.

Women who are breastfeeding, she says, should not deprive themselves of food or exercise too hard because it may deplete the milk supply.

The women power walk the last stretch of the trail and return to the Campbell Par Course for final exercises and stretching. At the end of the workout, some babies are asleep, others are ready to play and some need to be fed.

The babies and toddlers who are awake are held by their mothers and used as weights while the women step up on a park bench or perform tricep baby presses in the grass. As Domine places 1-year-old Remy on her abdomen for an exercise to strengthen her triceps, Remy rolls off her and walks over to the swing set.

Domine's neighbor Railo takes a moment after stretching to breastfeed her 8-week-old daughter, Elise. As the women talk about their workout, Railo says exercise is essential for her to maintain her body and sanity.

Tawnia Stratton, a Monte Sereno resident who has a 16-month-old daughter, Katarina, says that although it is hard to find the time to exercise, the time is well spent.

"It's hard when you're 'Mom' to fit it all in," Stratton says. Thus far, StrollerStriders has been a positive experience for her and her daughter. The exercise is also keeping the four-month pregnant mother fit throughout during her next pregnancy.

For Carroll, several weeks of exercise is already paying off. "It's making my tummy tight," she says.

For more information, contact Naomi James at 408.482.9516 or via email at strollerstridersanjose@yahoo.com. StrollerStriders meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:15 a.m. at the Campbell Par Course Bridge located at the corner of Gilman and Campbell avenues. Cost is $40 for 10 workouts.