HONESDALE, Pa. — Step-ups were on the workout schedule at GIDI Fitness in Wayne County.
But instead of using weights, this class had something a little more challenging.
It's the Mommy and Me fitness class, and it's all about supporting mothers and women.
"The whole point is to create a mom community, 'cause there's nothing around here for moms," said Nicole Molling the owner.
Molling opened the fitness studio three weeks ago, but her journey goes back to March 2022, when she had her twin girls.
Shortly after giving birth, Molling showed signs of postpartum depression and anxiety.
"There were parts and times where I didn't even wanna hold my kids, and that's something that's like I wanna cry when I talk about it, but it's, you know, you don't know what's wrong," Molling said. "I was going to doctors, and they kept putting me on medicine, and it wasn't working."
That's when Molling started to use fitness as an outlet to express herself.
But she wasn't alone in her thoughts.
She found out many mothers were going through the same thing she was.
Looking at how fitness helped her, she wanted to support other moms and opened the studio.
"Kids are a blessing, but there are struggles that we go through physically and mentally that no one really speaks about that I want to bring to light and let other moms know that they aren't alone," Molling said.
"She's very inclusive to all different types of mothers. She makes you very comfortable to be around," said Alexis Rousseau of Hawley.
Gidi Fitness hosts classes five days a week, and mothers tell Newswatch 16 they love to go there because it's a safe place for them.
"I'm an exclusively pumping and breastfeeding mom, and I was uncomfortable pumping around other people my first time going to class, and she encouraged me to do so, and I did, and she made me feel very comfortable about doing normal daily mom stuff," said Rousseau.
"It's just to create a safe place for women to come and be comfortable in their own skin," Molling said.
Everyone needs a little support, whether it's as a mom or a woman on their fitness journey, and Molling hopes to be just that for the ladies who take her classes.
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