10 Accounts To Help Fix The Diversity Problem With Your #Fitspo
Written by Jeanette Nkwate
Jeanette is a curious beauty and fashion journalist with an extreme love for fitness, food, hair products and all things digital. Her mild obsessions include: buying hair oils, caffeine, eating burgers and snapping neon signs. She’s also a self-proclaimed Instagram devotee and amateur yogi trying to master the crow pose.
Follow Jeanette on Twitter & Instagram.
The wellness world has been criticised for being a mostly white, perfect and homogeneous space. And the proof is most definitely in the pudding, or should I say, on the covers of popular health mags and noted fitspo Instagram accounts.
While making sure all women are welcomed is the supposed ethos of health publications and most influencers, the elephant in the room is that fitness has a diversity issue. So, what can you do to fix the lack of cultural diversity in your fitspo? You can do your part by simply introducing a breadth of women into your Instagram feed.
To make the task a little easier, we’ve highlighted twelve women of different ethnicities, faiths and abilities making the fitness industry more inclusive one IG post at a time.
Explore the assortment of different fitness journeys and get ready to be inspired by this influencer list with a difference.
Adrienne LDN
Why you should follow her: Busy Adrienne is a personal trainer, content creator, runner and Adidas Global ambassador. She’s also the co-founder of GetToKnow, which is a supportive community for women in creative industries. Adrienne’s also recently launched a motivational podcast called Power Hour, where she talks to guests about their fitness rituals and routines. Follow her on Instagram for her vibrant posts and watch her very personal TED Talk about why she runs if you haven’t already.
Instagram handle: @adrienne_ldn
India Morse
Why you should follow her: India Morse AKA @YouLeanMeUp is a unique influencer on Instagram as she was born deaf and also is a fitness instructor. Understanding the difficulties of trying to pursuing her love of fitness in studios and classes, she’s an advocate for making exercise accessible to those that are deaf or hard of hearing. Follow her on Instagram for her inspirational selfcare posts and motivating gym pics.
Instagram handle: @youleanmeup
Yogahood LDN/Sanchia Legister
Why you should follow her: Yogahood LDN describes itself as ‘vinyasa flow yoga for the people dem. Good vibes and fiyah tunes’. It’s all about yoga and meditation for people that want a wellness practice with a difference. Sanchia Legister AKA @MissSanchiaLege is the yoga teacher with a beautiful afro and warm smile behind this IG account. Follow if you want good vibes, like hip-hop and to see all types of people doing downward dog poses.
Instagram handle: @yogahoodldn
Kim Ngo
Why you should follow her: Kim Ngo is a Nike trainer and 1Rebel master trainer. She’s also the co-founder of Food & Lycra which is a food, fitness and travel website set up to document the fitness journey of Kim and her two friends Laura and Rachel. Check out Kim’s account to watch her workout posts, and keep up to date with how she and her friends are breaking fitness stereotypes on social media and having fun while they do it.
Instagram handle: @kimmayco @foodandlycra
Khadijah Safari
Why you should follow her: Khadijah is a hijab wearing martial art expert (black belt 4th Dan). The mum of four trains Muslim and non-Muslim women to defend themselves in Milton Keynes. She’s all about uniting and empowering all women through Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.
Instagram handle: @khadijahsafari
Kelechi Okafor
Why you should follow her: Kelechi is an actor, director and the co-founder of Kelechnekoff Studio. She specialises in teaching lively twerk and pole dance in her Peckham based studio. Followed by many for her opinionated IG stories/posts, which have made her hit on social. She also has launched her own podcast aptly named Say Your Mind.
Instagram handle: @kelechnekoff
Lauren Steadman
Why you should follow them her: Lauren was born missing her lower right arm but that hasn’t held the 26 year old back from becoming a professional triathlete and triple Paralympian. Lauren’s also been gracing our TV screens via Strictly Come Dancing, showcasing that people of all abilities can and should get involved in fitness and exercise.
Instagram handle: @laurensteadmann
Theresa Yee
Why you should follow them her: The Senior Beauty Editor at WGSN is also passionate about fitness and wellness. She’s a certified fitness instructor and also founder of Fruuskin a vegan lip balm brand sustainably made with upcycled fruits. Follow to be inspired by her love of kettlebells, HIIT, TRX, spinning and beauty innovations.
Instagram handle: @theresa_yee
Fourfits
Why you should follow her: They are a group of friends showcasing their very real fitness journeys on Instagram. Follow to see how longtime friends Natalie, Victoria, Divine and Stephanie each approach fitness and test out new and varied classes/workouts.
Instagram handle: @fourfits_
Elle Linton
Why you should follow her: Elle is a fitness professional in her 30s with a blog called Keep It Simple. Based in Greater London/Essex, Elle is an ambassador of Liv Cycling which is committed to female cycling. Her IG has a real variety of activities: swimming, running, cycling to surfing. No one can say that Elle is stuck in the gym!
Instagram handle: @ellelinton
