June 22, 2025
Local NewsState & National

BW Body Shop celebrating 5 years of full-time fitness

By CALEB NELSON

Brooke Wilson leads warm ups at a recent exercise class at BW Body Shop on the Greenfield square. From Greenfield, Wilson says her business has steadily swelled to where it is today because she's been willing to further her education and cater to the needs of her clients. BW Body Shop celebrates five years as an official business in April. (Photo by)

Brooke Wilson of Greenfield says that when someone starts a workout program, it has to be something they’ll enjoy, otherwise they’re less likely to stay at it and see the results they’re looking for.

Wilson’s fitness center, BW Body Shop, on the north side of the Greenfield square, has been open for five years in various locations.

Starting Out

One of the biggest realizations Wilson says she’s had to come to in growing her business is that she’s responsible for catering to the needs of every client, so every workout may look different for various people.

“I offered the classes for free and mostly the classes were for me. If people wanted to workout with me, ‘Awesome, come workout with me!’ When it became my full-time job, I realized people can’t be this intense all the time because I just wanted to work hard every day,” Wilson said. “I realized I needed more education so I really knew what I was doing. I’ve been trying to do my best to help everyone because it can’t just be for me anymore.”

Building

Those free classes Wilson began at the onset in 2012 were on the elementary school playground in Greenfield. Over time, her business became more of a business and it moved into various spaces, like the basement of the Warren Cultural Center, Havens Accounting or the basement of the building BW Body Shop resides in now on the north side of the Greenfield square.

“We bought the building 2 to 2 1/2 years ago, so now I’m upstairs,” Wilson explained. “Established full-time, it has been since April 2014 [that we’ve been going].”

Wilson, the daughter of Donnie and Monica Wilson, was a single mom working in Des Moines before she started teaching classes as a way to build fitness back into her life.

“It really has been a learning experience trying to make it work for everybody,” Wilson said. “It’s nothing I really thought I’d ever do, honestly.”