Fitness, fishing, and football are three defining activities in the life of Wellbeats instructor Nate Middleton.

Nate grew up in rural Mississippi and had the value of fitness instilled in him from a young age. His first sporting loves were fishing and football, but fitness came to him in many forms.

“My mom, at that time, was a huge runner, so she ran these marathons. It seemed like every weekend she came home with a medal,” Nate said. “It was fitness that was instilled in my head.”

Lifelong Passions

Both fitness and fishing hold significant roles in Nate’s life as an adult, and his love of football carried on through his college years. He attended Minnesota State-Moorhead and earned his degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business while also playing football at the college level.

Today Nate works as a personal trainer in addition to his work as a Wellbeats instructor. And, of course, he’s still a fisherman. He has even expanded his skills to include ice fishing on Minnesota’s frozen lakes during the long winter months.

“If I’ve got a gap from clients, I’ll shoot over here [to the lake] from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. And I’ll leave right at three,” Nate laughed. “I’m the type who has to catch something.”

The patience, determination, and dedication Nate has learned in fishing have served him well in all his endeavors, most notably aiding him in his early days as a personal trainer.

“I kept doing the corporate route for almost 15 years and then decided to go out on my own,” Nate said. “I took a jump. I didn’t have any clients. I had two people. I treated those two people like they were my royalty. From there, it just continued to grow.”

Fitness for All

Nate’s approach to fitness and personal training aligns with Wellbeats’ vision that wellness isn’t just for some—it’s for all.

“I can have an eight-year-old, taking him through things that are designed for his motor-learning skills, while I have a 67-year-old knee surgery outpatient that I can take through and keep them safe,” Nate explained.

“Once I get them fundamentally sound with a good number of exercises, then the butt kicking just kind of lights it up a little bit.”

Nate’s work at Wellbeats has only expanded his reach and impact as a trainer.

“Wellbeats gave me that opportunity to grow into another aspect,” Nate said. “Next thing I know, I’ve got friends from Georgia—Atlanta—people I barely even know, and they’re like, ‘Nate, I worked out with you this morning. Thank you.’ Wow! That stuff is impactful to me. It’s huge.”

My Black History Life: Nate Middleton

Watch as Nate shares his personal wellness journey in this video from Wellbeats’ My Black History Life video series produced by Perk at Play Productions and TreeTop Media.

Visit the Wellbeats for All Celebrates Black History Month web page to join Wellbeats’ Black History Month celebration and get to know fellow Wellbeats instructors Chance and Jan as new videos in the My Black History Life series debut throughout the month.

About Wellbeats

Based in St. Louis Park, MN, Wellbeats is a leading provider of on-demand virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes for use in workplaces of all sizes, health plans, on college or university campuses, multi-family housing, the U.S. military, and fitness and health clubs. Wellbeats makes fitness accessible, affordable, and approachable for everyone. More than 1,000 classes and 30+ programs are available to help members stay on track and meet their goals. To learn more, visit www.wellbeats.com or check out a sampling of the company’s fitness classes during a Facebook Live class, and follow Wellbeats on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.