Natalia Torres
Natalia Torres is a health, wellness, and fitness professional, master personal trainer, and doctoral student in Health Sciences at Seton Hall University. Based in Belleville, New Jersey, she has built a career centered on improving physical health and overall well-being through both hands-on practice and academic study. With a Master of Science in Health Sciences and ongoing Ph.D. studies, she combines clinical understanding with evidence-based research to better support individuals in achieving sustainable lifestyle changes.
With nearly a decade of experience in the fitness and wellness industry, Natalia currently works as a stretch therapist at StretchLab, where she provides individualized assisted stretching sessions focused on mobility, pain reduction, and functional movement. Her background also includes leadership roles such as Master Trainer and Personal Training Director at LA Fitness, as well as experience in health coaching and wellness program development. Her professional focus includes stretch therapy, weight loss coaching, mindfulness-based behavior change, and improving clients’ long-term relationship with health and fitness.
Natalia’s approach to health is deeply shaped by her personal journey, including a transformative 104-pound weight loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience strengthened her commitment to helping others overcome emotional eating, build discipline, and pursue sustainable wellness without over-reliance on medication. She is also active on social media, where she shares educational content and personal insights, building a supportive online community she refers to as her “reflection.” Through her work, research, and outreach, Natalia is dedicated to bridging the gap between academic health science and real-world application, empowering individuals to take control of their health with clarity, structure, and confidence.
• Social-Behavioral-Educational
• Social and Behavioral Responsible Conduct of Research Course
• Approaches To Contemporary Leadership
• LinkedIn Learning Certificate
• 1st Degree Black Belt Instructor in Martial Arts
• Certified ISSA Personal Trainer
• Mimic Social
• Saint Peter's University - M.S.
• International Honor Society in Psychology
• International Honor Society in Sociology
• Dean’s List
• African Dance Choreographer
• Lead Latin Dance Choreographer
• Leadership Award
• Outstanding Achievement in Community Service
• Outstanding Achievement in Psychology with Personality
• Will To Win Award
• Novartis MVP Leadership Award
• Best Solo, Duo, Trio Champion Award Champion in Pantomime Award
• Outstanding Achievement in Keyboarding
• Outstanding Achievement in Health
• Outstanding Achievement in Physical Science
• Captain of Junior Varsity Volleyball
• Female Mentorship Program
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my passion and doing what makes my soul smile. No matter how much pain or challenges I've been through that I thought I would never conquer, I'm grateful that it fueled me instead of stumbling me. My passion fuels me no matter what to become the best version of myself. Every day that you wake up is really not promised and it's a blessing, and it reminds me of God's grace that your life really isn't done yet. As long as you keep waking up every day, you try to find the happiness in every day. I'm grateful that no matter what I'm going through, my passion pushes me and motivates me. My platforms and that community that I built - my reflection - are my reason as to why I continue to do this. Even though I'm exhausted just like everyone else, people ask me how do I do it, and the difference between the people that ask me that and me is that I actually just do it, because no one else is going to do it for me.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to do what makes you happy. No matter how hard it gets, do what makes your soul smile. It's one of my favorite things, and it really does make me want to tear up, because it's really hard to try to find a box that you fit in that can also sustain your life with whatever you want to do for yourself. It's really about following what brings your soul peace. When you don't really fit in in certain spaces, it could be hard because you want to just settle, but I feel like the people that make the most change are the dreamers. I'm really happy that no matter what, it doesn't matter how much someone can try to give me, I'm always gonna go with what I feel like is right within my heart and soul and my passion. My passions are really what flow to my successes, and whatever I've been through, any pain or anything that I thought that I would actually never conquer, I'm grateful that it fueled me instead of stumbling me. It doesn't matter what it is that I'm going through, my passion fuels me no matter what to just become the best version of myself. Your life really isn't done yet, and as long as you keep waking up every day, try to find the happiness in every day. It looks different for everybody, so just do what makes your soul smile.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be yourself. It doesn't matter how many people are doing the same thing around you, I promise you that as long as you keep showing up, there is at least one person that is going to appreciate you. Whether it's one person or 10 million people, that should be more than enough. It's not about you, it's about how can you help the next person that is really just trying to get to where they want to get to in their goals, just like you. We all have something to bring to the table, and women should be really lifting up one another and fixing one another's crowns. There is always something to bring to the table. You have something that is going to be good in someone else's eyes. Just keep being you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is finding a career path that is sustainable enough for me to gain the proper experience necessary with me being already in school as a doctoral student, but really just having only school experience and trying to find a way to really build a career with a field that should be deemed more important in my eyes, but I think it's a passive problem. There are people that want to make the change, but it's really hard to gather all that into a long-lasting career with my field in particular. If it's not being a personal trainer, that's really one of the only options, so I'm trying to do it differently and seeing what I can do. One of the biggest opportunities is that technology is advancing so much, I feel like it's a lot simpler to find ways to reach out and see where there is a need for this type of work and this type of passion. It's something that is still seen as very important, and it seems like this is going to forever be a group that people will be passionate about when it comes to health, wellness, and fitness. It's something that is never going to die out because this is something that is important to everybody, and if it's not, then it should be.