Meet FRÉ Ambassador Danielle Natoni, Former Teacher Turned Full-Time Fitness Professional

@daniellenatoni

About me: I was born in New York, I grew up in Florida, and I’m now living in Las Vegas. I’m a hardworking energetic wife and mother who is obsessed with living an optimal life and helping others do the same.

My journey from teacher to full time fitness professional

I went from loving dance to loving fitness. At the same time I put myself through college and became a teacher. After work I always went to the gym, it was the place I felt the most “me”. 

At the time I was in a difficult marriage, in debt with 2 small kids and life was chaotic. I needed a second job to make ends meet. I didn’t want to waitress again, I wanted to do something I loved. I thought about teaching group gym classes so I got certified and became obsessed with teaching classes! I would teach fitness classes before and after school and then have private clients on the weekend. In essence, I was still a teacher but the audience was different.

"What began with my personal journey and has now grown to a community of over 22,000 thousand men and women who are getting healthier every single day through our at-home workout programs."

Team fit and funky

I’m part of Team BeachBody, and when I joined I started sharing everything with my community on social media. This began with my personal journey and has now grown to a community of over 22,000 thousand men and women who are getting healthier every single day through our at-home workout programs. I’m so proud to be the leader of this epic community! 

"I feel like Tourette was a gift the planet gave to my daughter to make her stronger and spread a message of positivity." 

Tourette Syndrome

My daughter Bianca has Tourette Syndrome. She isn’t worried about what others think, she always beats to the rhythm of her own drum. She has a confidence that makes everyone around her smile; it's a beautiful thing to witness. When she was 7 I noticed rapid eye blinking and shoulder shrugging. This turned into face slapping, punching her stomach and some audible sounds. We realized she has Tourette Syndrome and I immediately knew I wanted to be an advocate and learn as much as possible. 

Bianca is a competitive Volleyball player and the more she is focused, the more manageable her ticks are. When she is nervous or has a test they are higher and more frequent. Foods can affect this, so we stay away from gluten and dyes. In 2018, she shared her story on national television. We’ve also lobbied congress twice. Bianca is now a representative of the  Tourette Association Of America and I speak at the national conference each year. 

The media has made it seem like Tourette is just people violently cursing but the truth is there are probably more people that you know living with Tourette. It's important to remove the stigma and see my daughters beautiful face - a strong, resilient and beautiful child. I feel like Tourette was a gift the planet gave to her to make her stronger and spread a message of positivity. 

Fitness tips

Check out my IG TV workout videos and yoga flows! @daniellenatoni

My number 1 tip is to just start! You have to do something. And when in doubt, walk it out. Every day my husband and I take a 30 minute walk. People really underestimate the power of walking. I always recommend people start with cleaning up their nutrition and walking. It’s easy to take on too much too fast and give up.

Resilience tips

1. My number 1 tip is from Whitney Cummings: “You’ve gotta feel it to heal it”. We are told to stay positive and things will be ok. But you have to feel it first. If you are anxious, scared or depressed, feel that, sit with that feeling before moving forward. 
2. I meditate with the app  Calm every single day. 
3. Reading is so important, plugging into a good morning routine is essential.
4. Give yourself some grace - these are uncertain times and no one knows what is going to happen, we need to think as a global community and also focus on the positives.

Skincare

I’m one of those annoying people who hasn’t really had skin problems but living in Las Vegas I get dry skin and FRÉ is great for hydration. I’ve gotten A LOT of complements lately with people telling me my skin is glowing and the only difference is FRÉ. My favorite FRÉ is GLOW ME - I use it every day. I rarely wear full makeup, and I also go out in the sun every day. GLOW ME covers up imperfections, has SPF15 and feels light. It’s the first thing I put on after I wash my face in the morning.

Rapid Fire:

• Favorite exercise?  Dance
• What does sweat mean to you?  Sweating out negativity 
• What comes to mind when you think of FRÉ?  Clean
• What are you most excited about in life right now?  Even though the world is crazy right now I’m excited by all the possibilities
• What’s something you’d still love to learn?  Another language
• If you were a hashtag, what would you be?  #dontbegross
• What is your mantra?  Never settle for less than I’m capable of 
• What’s the best advice that you’ve ever received in your life?  Always do the right thing no matter what 
• What is an issue that you wish we spoke about more often?  What we put into our food
• What does women’s empowerment mean in 2020?  We continue to fight and stand up for equality and for what we believe in. I hope to see a female president in my lifetime! We are strong, beautiful, capable creatures.