Piersonfitness, Homer Glen

It's hard to believe that Dawn Pierson was not always in top shape. Still in maternity clothes at her daughter's first birthday party, she decided it was time to change her fitness routine. She hired a personal trainer to show her the correct way to work out, and over time, she watched her body transform. Six months after her first session, she quit her job to become a certified trainer, with the goal of helping others like herself to live healthier and happier lives.

At Piersonfitness, she fills her roster of classes with Zumba, boot-camp, and personal-training sessions. She offers free 30-minute personal-training sessions for first-timers to demonstrate the impact that personal training can have in their exercise routine. In addition to training, she also leads high-energy dance-based Zumba classes set to Latin, hip-hop, and country tunes, describing the fun, full-body-toning classes as "exercise in disguise."