Brooke Pomerenk and her husband, Steven, have two daughters, ages eight and 11. Brooke focused less on the gym and taking care of herself and more on raising her two beautiful girls when they were young. However, she eventually had a wake-up call and knew it was time to get back in shape.

Brooke, 38, had played competitive sports since she was a kid but eased herself back into physical activity with group fitness classes at Lifetime Fitness. She found the camaraderie of the classes more compelling than competing.

She says, “I thought to myself, ‘Why not get paid to work out?’”

Through AFAA, she became certified to teach group fitness. In addition, she became a certified personal trainer. Brooke currently teaches kickboxing and different strength-cardio classes at Germantown Athletic Club. For her own workouts, she likes to mix it up between hot yoga, kickboxing, strength-cardio classes, and running.

Through her journey with fitness, Brooke has learned to balance her family and taking care of herself. On a typical day, she teaches in the morning after dropping her girls off at school. Afterward comes mom duties like homework, extracurriculars, and making meals.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the routine of being a mom, but we have to make time for ourselves.”

For her and her family, Brooke emphasizes nutrition. “My kids joke that we have chicken and broccoli every night, but it’s kind of true.”

While they eat healthy during the week, they splurge a little on the weekend. Some of their favorite places to eat out are Las Delicias, Huey’s, and Memphis Pizza Café. Brooke says there are healthy options at nearly every restaurant.

Fitness isn’t just something she does on her own. Brooke, her husband, and her daughters also work out as a family. They go on bike rides on the Greenline, and sometimes her kids join her at the gym.

“Setting a good example for them is important to me, and I want them to lead active, healthy lives.”

Brooke encourages other moms to find a balance between work, family, and self-care. She highly recommends starting with a group fitness class.

“A lot of women are intimidated by the gym, but group classes can be the best place to start because you meet other people and have accountability. The people in your classes can become like family.”

By Christin Yates

Photos by Tindall Stephens