Hilary Duff Says It 'Was Scary' to Pose Nude but She 'Felt Strong and Beautiful'

Daniella Midenge for Women's Health Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff knew it would "terrify" her to go nude for the cover of a national magazine — and that's part of why she decided to do it.

The How I Met Your Father star, 34, bared all for the May/June cover of Women's Health and reflected on the major moment on Instagram on the day of its release.

"Sooooo, this was scary….. I knew doing this would terrify me and I was right!" Duff wrote.

"@womenshealthmag had the most lovely all-women shoot and I actually had the best time. I felt strong and beautiful and laughed a lot getting into some of these poses without my high waisted mom jeans and oversized whatever I normally wear. Thank you to everyone who normalized this day for me and propped me up with compliments and love."

Duff went on to thank the photographer, makeup artist, hair stylist and everyone who helped her through the shoot.

Daniella Midenge for Women's Health Hilary Duff

"I love these photos so much, thank you for capturing a moment in time where I felt both completely vulnerable but powerful," she told photographer Daniella Midenge.

The mom of three also thanked her longtime trainer Dominic Leeder for "getting me motivated everyday and in this great shape!"

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In the cover story, Duff talked about the ups and downs of her body image, from dealing with an eating disorder at age 17 to accepting her body after three pregnancies, and seeing how it can recover even stronger than before.

"I think that at 34 I have just gained a lot of respect for my body," she said. "It's taken me all of the places I need to go. It's helped me build a beautiful family. I feel like the older I get, the more confident I get in my own skin. And my body's been many different shapes and sizes and I'm really just fascinated by, one, being a woman. And two, all the changes that your body can go through throughout your lifetime."

Daniella Midenge for Women's Health Hilary Duff

Duff, who has 10-year-old son Luca with ex Mike Comrie and two daughters with husband Matthew Koma, admitted that she didn't fully accept her body until she had her 3-year-old daughter Banks and realized that she was "powerful" for becoming a mom again after a divorce.

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"I'm proud of my body," she said. "I've gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through."