What Hilary Duff Wants You to Know About Her Nude Women’s Health Photos

Hilary Duff broke the Internet on May 10 when Women’s Health published a nude photo shoot featuring the How I Met Your Father star. In the issue, Duff talks about her body and all the changes it’s gone through since having three children, Luca (10), Banks (3), and Mae (1).

Hilary Duff on her relationship with her body through the years

Growing up in the spotlight as Lizzie McGuire, Duff felt the pressure of the industry when it came to her appearance.

“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny,’” she told Women’s Health.

At the age of 17, she struggled with an eating disorder. “It was horrifying,” she said.

Today, she’s at a healthy place with her relationship to her body. But because of her past experiences, she wants people to be aware of the process for taking these photos.

“I’m proud of my body,” she said. “I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through. I also want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”

Duff thinks she achieved that state of peace after having Banks.

“I didn’t even know if I was going to have the opportunity to have another child [after the divorce],” she said. “So, being a mom again, maybe. It was a whole mix of things—of being settled and realizing that I’m powerful and talented and smart. All mental things.”

The actor worked out in preparation for the Women’s Health photos

Duff worked with a trainer, Dominic Leeder, in the months leading up to her Women’s Health cover. Her schedule included hour-long workouts four days a way that took place in the actor’s garage. Focusing on lean muscle mass, workouts could include lat pulldowns followed by tricep pushdowns with a stability ball skull crusher or single-leg bent-over dumbbell rows, or supersets of squats on a Bosu ball after weighted squats. Instead of running, Duff did 30 seconds at a time of cardio blasts with exercises like jumping lunges. Leeder and Duff also carved out time for the Theragun massager, stretching, and rolling. On “off” days, Duff would play tennis or go hiking.

“I slept better, I felt better,” she said.

Since the shoot, the HIMYF actor has eased up on the intensity of her workouts.

Hillary Duff also prioritizes ‘work[ing] on the inside’

Duff is a big therapy advocate. She recently had a chat with her son about the benefits of seeing a therapist.

“He was like, ‘I don’t need a therapist!’ I said, ‘No, no, no, I didn’t say you need a therapist. But I love my therapist, and I always feel better when I leave because I can say whatever I want and not feel judged.’ Everybody needs that,” she said.

Another big piece of the puzzle to the peace Duff feels as of late is the focus she puts on her mental health.

“We bust our a** to get our bodies in shape and to look the best we can,” she said. “We get facials and Botox and our hair done and highlights and brows and lash lifts and all this s***. But I want to work on the inside. That’s the most important part of the system.”