Natalie Hillegass, a mom of two herself, teaches other moms about positivity and self-love through fitness. Known as the Positive Fit Mama on Instagram, Natalie shows busy moms how to get exercise with fast, effective workout routines. Mothers always put their families first, and their own needs often get put on the back burner. However, Natalie teaches them that they can still make time for themselves no matter how hectic life gets.
In addition to posting some of her workouts on Instagram, she also sells 12-week programs designed just for moms.
Natalie offers the following three programs on her website:
- Postpartum Program: This program designed for new moms helps to “reconnect [you] with your deep core, heal your pelvic floor, and learn how to fit fitness in with the demands of motherhood!” The workouts only include your own body weight and resistance bands, and they can be done in 30 minutes 3 times per week. Natalie also includes information on diastasis recti, such as how to heal from it and check if you have it.
- HIIT at home: This 12-week program also uses bodyweight and resistance bands, and include 3 30-minute workouts per week. Designed to grow your endurance and confidence, HIIT will give you a great workout in a short amount of time.
- Dumbbell Bootcamp: If you have two or more sets of dumbbells lying around at home, you will benefit from this program. It will help you become stronger and more toned in just 12 weeks, and improve your overall physical fitness. You’ll also need resistance bands, and just like the other programs, you will complete 3 30-minute workouts per week.
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All of Natalie’s workout programs cost come with the following perks as well:
- videos of each move and modifications
- bonus weekly challenges for even more results
- weekly goals & affirmations to help you with positive thinking and making lasting lifestyle changes
- emails from Natalie to help you with accountability, encouragement and support
- monthly fitness tests to track your progress
Natalie says she originally got into fitness for her wedding because she wanted to lose weight and feel good for the big day. However, she said that after she had her daughter 5 years ago, the more important journey began. Natalie realized that self-love and care involve so much more than just physical fitness. She understood the importance of mental well-being and positive thinking, and wanted to help others discover this as well.
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Helping Moms Learn to Love Physical Fitness–and Themselves
“I help moms find confidence now, feel good now, love themselves now, on the way to their goals, so that by the time you get to your goals, that’s just icing on the cake.”
In other words, she shows people how to love and enjoy what they are now rather than waiting for the future to accept themselves. She teaches people to work with what they’ve got and that they deserve their own love as much as anyone else.
Natalie went on to say that her own self-love and fitness journey inspired her to love the body she has now. She still strived to reach her goals, but from a place of love, not hatred for her current state of body or mind. It becomes much easier to accomplish fitness goals, or anything else, when you begin with support and love for yourself. It all starts within our own minds and how we choose to see ourselves.
Natalie says it’s all about adding to her life rather than setting restrictions on it. “I refuse to raise my daughter in a household that talk negatively about bodies, where I only eat celery, while she got to eat french fries,” she says. She doesn’t judge her worth based on what size she wears or what she looks like, and she teaches body positivity to her daughter as well.
“I ended up finding so much freedom. I found food that felt good, I found movement that felt good, I found a sense of confidence that I didn’t know was possible.”
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Final Thoughts on Using Positivity to Teach Self-Love and Physical Fitness
You can truly sense the positivity and love coming from her videos, and this inspires other moms out there to achieve their goals. They see Natalie finding time for exercise and self-care, and know that they can transform their lives in the same way. She finds so much joy in helping moms rediscover themselves and feel good in their skin once again.
Natalie loves when other moms realize that they’re a priority in not just their families, but in their own life. “And that not only is she a priority in her family, but by making herself a priority in her family, her family is better because of it.” If you fill your cup up first, you can give more to others, which is what Natalie hopes mothers out there will remember. Self-love and care isn’t selfish – it’s necessary in order to have enough to share with others.
“The more moms who care for themselves, the better this world is gonna be – I guarantee it.”
Her advice for anyone just beginning their journey in physical fitness is to have a mindset of addition, not restriction. In other words, look at all the positivity that will come from treating yourself as a priority. And be kind to yourself
“What fruits and vegetables do you like to eat and want to eat more of? What kind of movement makes your body feel good and your heart feel joyful? Do that!” Basically, she’s saying to look at eating healthy and working out as an act of self-love. These habits are not something that you should dread. Remember all the benefits and positivity that will come from transforming your life and making loving choices for your body, mind, and family.
“So love who you are, find a way to love who you are, break it down,” Natalie says. “Start with just kindness, and liking and respect, and eventually you will get to love.”
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