It's no secret that this year has brought to light the issue of systemic racism - something that unfortunately existed before 2020 and that we will continue to fight against in the future. We as a brand have taken an honest look at our shortcomings when it comes to diversity and inclusion, and we are actively taking steps to expand representation on our site, in our marketing, and within our L*Space community!
Your Instagram feed is a prime example of a place where you may not even realize systemic racism is happening. Do you only see white influencers on your Explore page? Is your Following list well, a little whitewashed? The fitness space on social media is vast, with tons of amazing "fitfluencers" creating engaging content that will inspire, educate, and motivate you! We're diversifying our feed and you should, too.
Here are 15 (of many!) Black fitness influencers you need in your Instagram feed:
1. @jas_blocker
A certified personal trainer, Princeton grad, and oh yeah - a Team USA athlete for Track & Field, Jasmine Blocker is pretty much the definition of #goals! Check out her posts and IGTV channel for a helpful breakdown of different at-home fitness circuits you can try.
2. @californiapilates
Lencola Green is a Pilates Master Instructor and Carbon38 ambassador. You can find her frequently teaching on their page, incorporating different methods into her fitness classes like yoga and barre. We also love her IGTV videos where she covers foundational Pilates techniques.
3. @gymhooky
Ariel Belgrave, AKA @gymhooky, is all about getting fit without having to set foot inside a gym (pretty perfect for 2020). In addition to being a Tone It Up instructor, she also hosts her own online workouts from her site - seriously, how fun does a Trap Werkout class sound? Sign us up!
4. @yellabella
Danielle Acoff is a certified yoga instructor, but she actually began her career as a dancer (fun fact: she was one of the iconic Fanta girls!). It's no wonder her yoga inspo is all about grace and fluidity. She also posts amazing tutorials - we recommend referencing one of her at-home mat workouts for your next sweat sesh.
5. @lauren.arps
Lauren recently took over our Instagram Live for a barre class and it was serious fun (and a serious workout)! She's the founder of The Graceful Strength Method, which is a fusion of ballet barre, high intensity cardio, and yoga. Check out her page for more fitness inspo, and try out the ballet barre class she hosted for us here!
6. @aminabfit
Amina Barnes is a certified personal trainer, spin instructor, and busy mama. She uses her platform as a health diary, sharing how she juggles her wellness journey with family life. The only thing better than an inspirational fitfluencer? One who's actually relatable!
7. @dejariley
If you're more of YouTube fitness gal, you'll be just as obsessed with Deja Riley's workouts as we are. She covers everything from dance routines to HIIT and boxing classes - and she's also on Instagram, posting IGTV classes and sharing snippets into her life. You'll love her upbeat personality and infectious spirit!
12. @phyllicia.bonanno
Phyllicia is a yoga teacher and Alo Moves fitness instructor. She's also the co-founder of the Sisters of Yoga Collective, which is a community of like-minded Black yogis. We love her insights into wellness and mindfulness, and her peaceful sound bath IGTV videos are the perfect way to re-center during a hectic workday.
13. @ashleyjoi
If you're in need of some more motivation, Ashley is your girl! She's a certified personal trainer who has been teaching on Pop Sugar Fitness during quarantine. Her posts are all about pushing yourself to achieve your girls, and embracing your health journey.
14. @courtney.sarracino
We're kind of obsessed with Courtney. From her positive mindset to her killer fitness routines - and of course, her insanely cute activewear wardrobe. She breaks down her workouts into circuits that are easy to follow, but still super challenging.
15. @bykwest
Kira is just as passionate about travel as she is about wellness - her feed is a dreamy catalogue of places she's been. In fact, she just launched a jewelry collection called Made ByKwest inspired by travel and created to withstand active lifestyles. We also love her advice on snacking smart, creating work/life balance, and super cute OOTD inspo.
Looking for more health and wellness inspo? Check out our 6 Self Care Ideas to Boost Your Mood!
And be sure to do our 45 Minute Ballet Barre class with Lauren Arps!
8. @alittletaeste
Tae-León covers all things fitness, medicine, and lifestyle. In addition to being a fitness content creator, she's currently juggling medical school at UCLA and vlogs about her journey on her YouTube channel! One of our favorite things we love about Tae-León's fitness posts are the modifications she includes so you can choose your level of challenge.
9. @ajahzifit
Ajahzi Gardner is an LA-based fitness content creator who shares everything from HIIT circuits to yoga sessions on her page. With equipment or without, she pretty much has a workout for everyone! We love her for her fitness inspo, but she also has super cute everyday style - so the occasional OOTD is always welcome, too.
10. @fitandfullbykayla
Though she works in the field of health research by day, Kayla Jeter still finds time to be a Lululemon ambassador, and share her health and wellness journey on her IG platform. While we love her fitness content (tell us how we can get your arms, Kayla!) we particularly love her IGTV #wellnesswednesday series, which covers topics like anxiety, food, and mental health.
11. @shantani.moore
Shantani is an LA-based fitness trainer and model who is all about positive energy and having fun. She teaches everything from bounce cardio to barre on her IG Lives. Even when she's not posting a workout, we love her motivational reminders to embrace imperfection and stay playful in life. Stay tuned to our IG for an upcoming Live workout from Shantani very soon!