8 Body Positive Fitness Instagrammers That Will Inspire You to Love Your Body
The world of fitness Instagram can be scary. It’s filled with extreme before and afters, borderline obsessive food cataloging and all kinds of other potentially harmful content, all of which may have an effect on your body image. Thanks to celebrities speaking out and a slew of inspiring and healthy books, the body positive movement and celebrating bodies of all sizes and shapes has gone mainstream. So if you want to fill your feed with women who will make you feel awesome about yourself and your own fitness journey, start with this amazing group.
1. @jensinkler: You can always count on this trainer and former rugby player to keep it real. There’s pretty much zero mention of working out to lose weight on her account, but rather building muscle and feeling great. Yes, please. Of before and after shots, Jen shared that she’s all for them, but what’s key is “celebrating before, celebrating after. Loving before, loving after. Being happy before, being happy after.”
2. @mynameisjessamyn: This dedicated yogi and advocate is one of the most active and educated voices in the body-positive space. In a recent Instagram caption she said, “Frankly, I just want to live in a world where plus sized women are not afraid of their own bodies. That’s it. So many of us are straight up terrified of the skin we’re in — and we’ll do anything possible to imitate someone else. But what if we were surrounded by imagery that’s actually representative of diverse feminine beauty, instead of a rotating cast of multiethnic Barbie dolls?” We couldn’t agree more.
3. @fitqueenirene: Lots of yoga accounts post perfect snaps of crazy poses without acknowledging how hard it is to actually get yourself into those positions. They’re just supposed to be #goals. While it’s true that Irene regularly posts asanas that will make you be like, “What?!” she also drops truths about how hard she’s worked to get where she is and reminders that no one in this world is completely perfect. “No matter how well I eat and how much I exercise,” she shared in a caption, “I still have cellulite, stretch marks, and acne that comes and goes. For me this is just a part of human existence. The thing is, my body is just my body. And while I have a duty to take care of it I also have a duty to love it. And love doesn’t have to mean change, but it does mean acceptance. This is a friendly reminder to all of us, to fall in love with yourself one piece at a time.”
4. @kaisafit: In addition to the constant stream of workout videos and fitness advice you can find on Kaisa’s account, you’ll also encounter a surprisingly balanced perspective on working out from this super-experienced trainer. “I love my body and value all that it does for me. Keeping it healthy and moving daily is the least I can do for it!” she said in post about why she works out.
5. @honorcurves: This girl gets it. “Just a reminder that it’s okay to not look perfect after you workout,” she said recently. “We always see media images of people working out where they look amazing but it’s okay to be bright red, it’s okay to have giant sweat marks on your shirt, it’s okay to be breathing hard, and it’s okay to just go for it and let your body do what it does. Working out should be fun, and when we worry about how we look, we ruin it for ourselves. I spent too many years dreading being active because of how red my face got and how sweat would pour off my head. No more!” A million times yes.
6. @annavictoria: Anna Victoria pretty much looks picture-perfect in every social media post. Several months ago, though, she decided to get real about how even women like her, who spend their entire day in the gym and eat on a fairly strict meal plan, have angles that make them looks less than model-esque. Her message is that how you feel is what matters, not just what you see.
7. @nicolewinhoffer: The creator of the NW Method is all about feelin’ yourself. Her feed is filled with awesome dance workout videos, inspirational quotes and general silliness. “Trust your beautiful body. Create self-awareness. Pay attention. Listen to your body’s signs. And never stop loving yourself. You can do anything,” she said recently.
8. @ceceolisa: Not only does she have the cutest workout (and overall) style ever, but Cece is also a huge advocate of the body-positive workout. She’s awesome at pointing out that working out is for everyone, regardless of size or shape. After all, everyone is different, but that’s what makes us special, right?
