Often times, being a stay at home parent can seem limiting. The role can appear monotonous, unappreciated, and repetitious, but for Denise Helms, “momming” is her life’s purpose. Before being a mom, she found her identity as a teacher.

Denise is a Union County native, growing up in Luttrell and now residing in the Paulette community. After graduating from Horace Maynard High School, she progressed forward to pursuing education at Pellissippi State Community College and the University of Tennessee, earning her Master’s Degree in Education. She taught third grade at Claxton Elementary School from 2001-2005 and is currently a homeschool mom. Denise says, “I feel very fortunate to live in a country in which we can homeschool; I stay busy loving, teaching, and supporting my family.” Aside from the satisfaction of a homeschool lifestyle, oftentimes moms, as parents and educators, need an outlet, this is where Denise’s passion for group exercise classes plays a role in personal growth and enrichment.

When she was thirteen, her father passed away from a massive heart attack. In addition, she has a heart murmur that has to be monitored. In her twenties, her doctor wanted to put her on statin drugs for high cholesterol. This genetic predisposition to heart disease is what inspired her to pursue physical activity options. It didn’t take her long to become hooked on all the other benefits of exercise, and she in turn has great cholesterol without ever having taken a medication.

On her fitness journey over the years, she tried home workout videos, an elliptical, biking, and running. She was unmotivated and bored which resulted in what felt like failure. When she did work out, she didn’t seem to work hard enough to see the effectiveness, and there were always other things at home vying time and attention. She wasn’t handling stress well and had a loss of enthusiasm. She began taking classes and quickly discovered her desire to be a part of group fitness.

The act of scheduling time for a workout away from home increased commitment and removed distractions, thus allowing her to focus on fitness while at class and family at home. Denise says, “I find working out in a group is also motivating and uplifting. There is a certain energy you gain from working out with others.” As relationships develop, there is an accountability to group exercise. If you are absent, you will be missed. After becoming dedicated to group fitness classes, results of her efforts became noticeable. “Looking back at my stress level and anxiety before I really learned how I best exercised, I can truly say exercising has increased not only my physical health but my mental well-being as well,” she affirms.

Denise became a licensed Zumba® instructor in August 2010 shortly followed by the beginning of teaching classes in Maynardville and the Halls YMCA, and has been sweating with members of the communities ever since. It still surprises her that she “dances” in public. Over time, she has attended trainings and obtained licensure in Zumba Toning®, Pilates, Piloxing®, and Strong by Zumba®. She says she is blessed to have a contract with the school board in order to rent the gym of Paulette Elementary School for classes.

She has been teaching those very classes on Monday and Thursday evenings, as well as Sunday afternoons, for nearly seven years. Her classes are mixes of Zumba®, toning, boxing, and interval training in order to maximize fitness levels. For the month of January, she has held All Request classes on Sundays in which class participants get to choose their favorite workout routines. On Mondays, the class is packed with Zumba® fitness, incorporating a variety of song and dance genres with a liberal amount of toning moves in the mix. Thursdays, she has a 20/20/20 class in which she mixes 20 minutes of Zumba® with 20 minutes of body weight toning and 20 minutes of Tabata style high-intensity intervals.

She has many dedicated class members that have been with her since the beginning. Loyal supporter Pam Foust says, “I have been doing Zumba with Denise since we were at the YMCA together before she was teaching. It is the place where I go to get rid of stress and anxiety and get to be with some wonderful ladies. Through the years, Denise has put our well-being first, staying over for extra floor work, and giving us nutritional advice as well as being a great friend! I love to exercise and have most of my life, but it is better with people you love to be with, who are your accountability partners as well as prayer warriors. I love my Zumba family.” Many classmates feel this strong togetherness as a part of the fitness family Denise has built. She loves working out and interacting with class members to help them meet their fitness goals. “The stress relief, comradery, and friendship of the group nurtures my spirit,” she says.

The benefits of Denise’s workout program aren’t necessarily altruistic. Both she and the class members receive many rewards from the experience of group fitness. Class member Bobette Smith says, “Denise has always made sure we have fun and no judging anyone. ‘We are all here for the same reason.’ She is always ready to help anyone in any way she can.” When they get together, not only are the benefits of exercise noticeable but also the benefits of a tightly knit social group. “We bring out one another’s competitive spirits and we also joke, share concerns and support one another,” Denise reiterates.

Aside from her dedication to fitness instruction, Denise is devoted entirely to her family. This July, she will share a twentieth wedding anniversary with her husband, Eric. The couple met in high school and have been a couple for twenty-four years. Eric’s hard work and support enables the many blessings that the family enjoys. Without his career, in which he has been very successful, they wouldn’t be able to homeschool. He has always been very supportive of her exercise classes. He makes his physical health a priority and could even be found at Strong by Zumba® classes when schedules allow. Together they have two children, Eli and Kylie. Denise says they are her blessings from the Lord. As their mother, she is more proud of them than they could ever begin to imagine at this point in their lives. On Sunday morning you can typically find the family sleeping in, then worshiping at Milan Baptist Church in Maynardville.

With such an engaged schedule, free time is scarce. Lately, if a few minutes aren’t booked, she tries to squeeze in a nap on the couch, which is futile at the Helms’ house. Some of her favorite things are fireflies and redbud blooms, which seems sensible in comparison to her inspirational, uplifting lifestyle. During her lifetime, Denise strives to build a history of happy memories of being loved and cherished for her family. She desires for them and all of her friends and loved ones to know how much they have blessed her life. She is fulfilled with true contentment and joy.

Denise shares wisdom and has touched so many lives, learning her own lessons along the way. She emphasizes, “It seems to me that being proactive coincides with success. Beginning something new can be a challenge. First, determine the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. Then, begin taking those steps and you will be making real progress. Give yourself grace for mistakes and never give up! Perspective is key.” A person’s mood and feelings are fundamentally influenced by the thoughts mulled around in thoughts. Denise advises that, “If you notice yourself being negative, you do have the power to look at the situation from a different angle, focus on what is going right, and rewrite the script in your head. Find the positives. It also helps to smile, even when you don’t feel like it, as I tell my class, smiling releases endorphins and those little neurotransmitters are powerful!”

From raising her children to teaching fitness, Denise’s education degree has helped her in everything. She brings a strong will to work hard, a research basis, eagerness to continue learning, and a drive to succeed to each role she consumes. For more information on her fitness classes, visit the Facebook page “Work It Out Fitness with Denise Helms.” Get inspired to get involved.