Renee Pillow
Herd Strategies celebrates Women's History Month by launching our “Warrior Woman” series. Warrior Women are dedicating themselves to being a change agent for all women. Our first feature knows all about going to war and winning. Renee Pillow is a certified personal trainer, former bodybuilding competitor, author of “Fit With Renee Fitness and Nutrition Manual,” and an expert on health & fitness. Her commitment to wellness and helping others reach their fitness goals is admirable.
Renee believes in going the extra mile and then pushing yourself just a bit more to reach your goal. She overcame her struggles with weight and gained her confidence by understanding that “beauty was all about the person she was and how she cared for and treated others in her life.”
Her story begins just like so many others; “she looked at a photo of herself and was shocked when she couldn’t believe how overweight she had become.” After dropping 40 pounds over two years, she studied more about proper nutrition and fitness. With a new love for her body, she continued to push herself and eventually entered her first bodybuilding contest in 2005.
Health and wellness are essential for women of all ages and ethnicities. Renee is supportive of all communities but feels passionate about teaching women of color how to take care of themselves. She states, “My focus has always been Black women as I feel Black women are in the greatest need of improving their health and wellness. We suffer more than any other group; from obesity and chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.”
Renee lets us know that while we are all on a different path to health, everyone's journey won't look the same. She shares that fitness is necessary to her because “she comes from a family who did not take care of themselves. As a result, I lost my parents and grandparents at very young ages due to preventable or manageable health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. I didn't want to suffer those same issues and not be around for my children.”
You can get started on your fitness journey with Renee by signing up here (http://fitwithrenee.com/), Or you can follow her on IG (fitwithrenee_indy/) and Twitter (@fitwithrenee), where she shares her fitness journey.