Brooke Pearson

Brooke Pearson runs a small women’s only gym in Albany called Just Move. Kym and Casey sat down with Brooke to find out what makes this wonder woman tick and how she’s made Just Move such a special place to train.

 What drew you to the fitness industry?

I was all about sport growing up! I played basketball and netball and represented Albany for country week. My dream was to represent my country playing some kind of sport.

During senior school, I realised that wasn’t really a reality and I joined the Navy. It was probably the first time I experienced being really really fit and I started getting exposed to gym life. I actually failed my first fitness test, I just thought I couldn’t do it, so I didn’t even try. Then I put in weeks and weeks of extra personal training (PT). Not giving up was a huge lesson!

After the Navy I had a few different jobs and was going to a gym and they spoke with me about becoming a PT. I actually laughed at them! I said I could never do that, I don’t fit the mould of what a person should look like standing up on the stage. So I said no. Not long after that my husband got cancer and I realised life is short and you really have to pursue the things you love.

Becoming a PT was probably the closest thing to becoming a professional sportsperson I was going to get. It’s also why I am passionate about changing the narrative when it comes to women’s body image. I’ve seen women limit their goals and experiences because their body doesn’t fit the “social media” filtered version of what a woman should look like. That needs to change.!We are all different shapes and sizes and I believe that needs to be embraced more openly ... more conversations need to happen.

What kind of training have you done and what inspired you to really focus on women’s health?

Not long after I completed my Certificate III and IV in Fitness I became pregnant with my first daughter. This is where my women’s health focus really started. I taught and trained while pregnant and got a good feel for what it is like to have to slow down, and just how different it is. Once I had my daughter, I just wanted something I could bring her to and not have to put her in a creche. There was just nothing around. So, I started developing my post-natal program and started women’s health training. I finished my women’s health training the night my second daughter was born. I want to be able to give women an option to be able to get out of the house, move their body and not have to worry about anything else, rely on anyone else or be self-conscious about having a crying baby or how they look. I wanted to create a safe space.

Since then I haven’t really stopped training. I’ve completed a list of certifications including pre- and post-natal certification and that is something I constantly update. I source different courses from around the world and have done specific kids’ fitness training through the Children’s Westmead Hospital.  I think training is just something you really have to constantly update because there is new research all the time. I loved my Master Functional Training Certification through the Australian Functional Training Centre. That opened my eyes to thinking outside the box, outside the norm and being creative with body movement and different tools. More recently I have completed a Mentorship, specialising as a Next Level Body Movement Coach. I am currently upskilling, doing the Advanced Mentorship in this area. I am lucky enough to work with coaches in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. I constantly try to learn as much as I can to provide the best possible experience for our Just Move community.

You’ve chosen to make it women’s only (apart from 2 men’s classes per week), why is that?

With body image and self-confidence, some women don’t like to go to a regular gym so they choose not to do anything. I wanted to build an environment where people could let everything hang out and feel good and comfortable about that. There is no judgement, and you can just do your thing. It’s also its own niche. It’s being able to really focus on pre- and post-natal women and the flow on effect that then creates. Women’s bodies are both complicated and absolutely magnificent! I want women’s journeys from pre-pregnancy, through pregnancy, post-pregnancy, aging, menopause and post-menopause to be as effective as possible. Each phase in a woman’s life needs to be treated differently, and you know what ... every woman deserves that. As life gets busier, women put themselves at the end of a very long list. I’m trying to reduce as many barriers as possible to get women moving and keep them moving. I also find that because of our small classes, women let their barriers down and it creates conversations that they may not have somewhere else which may help someone when they need it. You will never be a number … you have a name, a story and a very important presence in our Just Move community.

And as for our couple of private men’s sessions per week, we started this as a request from some of our Just Move women. They wanted their partners looked after as well!

Wonder Woman seems to be the unofficial mascot of the gym. How did that come about and what is it that she embodies that made her that?

Wonder Woman started from my netball team. It began as a dress up in a carnival as we were always referring to each other as Wonder Women. Wonder Woman’s self-belief, passion, inner strength and kindness makes her a super role model. I wish people could see what I see in them and by calling them “Wonder Woman” they may start to believe it. It’s a matter of working with people and convincing them that they are worth it. I think language can be pretty powerful. Being and thinking positive about yourself is so important and that is what Wonder Woman does. 

You seem to have a way of pushing people to push harder without being overwhelming. How do you do this?

I think one of my strengths as a trainer is that I connect really well with people. Having mutual trust and respect has a lot to do with it.  I think I’m quite intuitive and can just tell when someone walks through that door what kind of intensity they are ready for. So many factors will determine where you can take someone on any given day. I think I’ve got better at knowing what that is. Experience, as well as amazing mentors and coaches, has given me an immense level of knowledge. It’s about thinking outside the box about what a person should be doing to maximise their session.

What is your vision for the future of Just Move?

I have projects in the pipeline. Specialised programs, in the form of education, mentoring,  coaching and practical training. These programs focus on different “phases” of a woman’s life. I’ve really focused on pre- and post-natal and beyond, but I’m starting to work more with teenage girls which I love.

I’m working towards a Women’s Wellness Network, centralising the “how to”, making it easy for women to get the help they need. I’m very lucky to have an excellent referral network of amazing health professionals that I can utilise. I want to change the narrative, I want women to embrace themselves, I want to help women see their full potential so they can live their best life. I can’t do this alone, which is why I surround myself with the very best coaches and allied health professionals.

I believe education allows a person to feel self-empowered. That in itself is incredibly powerful.

What classes do you run?

We run team training which includes different classes such as cardio, strength and core training which are suitable for all fitness levels. We do one-on-one personal training and small group personal training. We offer a variety of different classes and not just HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). HIIT training has really taken the world by storm but there is also research showing too much HIIT training can actually have a really negative impact on your body which is why we offer a variety for people.

We run our Post Natal “Return to Exercise Safely” which has seen many women in Albany and surrounds return to exercise.

We also do “Teenfit”. This is targeted for teenage girls who want or need to work on strength, fitness, confidence and self-belief. It’s just a really fun, no pressure way to get them moving and learn something different!

Visit

132 Albany Highway, Albany

Facebook: (1) Just Move Albany | Facebook