In 2022, it seems to be all about social media. There’s good and bad to that, but one of the pro’s is the availability of motivation out there! There are many fitness influencers online, and it’s great to have so many options of people to chose to follow. I’ve been around as long as Instagram (YIKES), so I’ve had lots of opportunity to find out who I click with best when it comes to health and fitness motivation. I’ve made a list of my favorite fitness influencers in hopes to continue to spread positivity and support around your fitness journey!
Here are my current favorite fitness influencers:
Whitney Simmons
If you have been following the fitness world in the last 3-5 years, you probably already know about Whitney Simmons. I first found her on YouTube because she had great workouts posted and a really positive attitude. Fast forward a few years, and Whitney became a Gym Shark athlete. She’s also the main reason I was a Gym Shark fanatic for a while. I’ve spent plenty of time and money on the their website after listening and watching Whitney’s reviews! More recently, Whitney has released her own fitness app called Alive by Whitney. I’ve shared multiple posts (here and here) on how I love and use this app, so I won’t go in depth here. But, trust me, it’s a fantastic app with lots of programming options at an extremely affordable price!
Outside of loving Whitney’s workouts, athletic wear reviews, and adorable 2 pups, she is very open and honest about her own mental health. I think it’s so important for influencers with huge followings like Whitney to share the good along with the bad. Whitney sharing her struggles helps show others that it’s ok to not be perfect. We all go through tough times and it’s comforting to see that even your favorite influencers do too.
I’ll link her Instagram and YouTube handles down below. I hope you’ll take time to check out her content and follow if you enjoy!
Nikki Blackketter
If you’re already a follower of Whitney’s, you’re more than likely already familiar with Nikki Blackketter too. Nikki and Whitney became fast friends during their Gym Shark days, and have stayed very close friends! I love to follow Nikki for a couple of different reasons. First of all, Nikki is much more my body type. She’s petite, puts on muscle pretty easily, and doesn’t love traditional cardio. I feel like I can follow along with her workout suggestions knowing they will more than likely work for me. Nikki is also very open and honest, like Whitney, and I appreciate the transparency and honesty.
Nikki has been in the fitness game for a really long time and has gone through the ebbs and flows. She’s done competitive bikini competitions, trained for strength, trained to be lean, and a little bit of everything in between. A lot of her content now is on living a healthy, balanced life without all the extremes. I love how much knowledge and experience she has, and take different tidbits myself to tweak how I’m training.
I’ll link her Instagram and YouTube accounts below for you to look at and hopefully follow if you connect with her the same way I do!
Cristina Capron
If I’m being honest, I can’t remember exactly how I came across Cristina on social media. It was more than likely on YouTube, because she always has great home and gym workouts posted on her channel. I also follow Cristina on Instagram, where she also shares great fitness content but also lots of fun fashion content. I really enjoy Cristina’s personality and following her fitness journey because she shares workouts both at home and at the gym. Normally, I’m the type of person that needs the motivation of the actual gym to get a workout done. However, there are days where I want to be active but not leave the house. Her workouts are great for those days and I love having those options!
Fitness influencers aren’t only great motivation for workouts, but can also be a lot of fun to take inspiration from for other aspects of your life! Cristina is a great example of that because I really enjoy following and taking inspiration from her fashion content. Again, we’re built pretty similar in that we’re both petite, so I like seeing how trendy things wear on her. I’m also usually drawn to basic pieces, and she has a lot of basic, fashionable pieces that I like to see how she styles.
Here are the links to Cristina’s Instagram and YouTube channels so that you have the opportunity to check her out!
Melissa Alcantara
If you don’t recognize this influencer’s name, trust me, you already know who she is. I came across Mel like the rest of the world a few years ago when Kim Kardashian started posting with her on Instagram as her trainer. Fast forward to now, and Mel has 1 million followers of her own on Instagram and a thriving business! A lot of Mel’s focus is on strength training, which I love. I’ve always enjoyed strength training, building muscle, and also trying to stay lean. Being able to follow and be inspired by someone who is not afraid of lifting weights, and showing women not to be afraid of it, is amazing.
Now, Mel has training programs that can be purchased online, a book, and a lot of just really great content. She shares workouts and nutrition tips that are easy to follow and adjust to your own lifestyle. Mel is also extremely uplifting to women who are trying to get back into shape after pregnancy or being out of the game for a while. She makes sure to remind people that as long as you have the determination and dedication, you can succeed at anything!
Here is Mel’s Instagram handle where I follow her most frequently. Scroll through her content and check out all the great stuff she shares!
Kelly Yager
I found Kelly on YouTube on my suggested videos to watch page. What hooked me at first was all of her outstanding Lululemon review videos! She has the most thorough and detailed reviews, and I have purchased items just because of her suggestion. Outside of her great active wear reviews, Kelly also shares awesome workout content. She is another influencer that does more weight lifting and CrossFit style workouts in the gym. I love taking notes of her workouts and trying similar things for my own training.
Today, Kelly and her husband are sharing their journey through pregnancy. This is their first child, and it’s really neat to see Kelly’s suggestions on staying active and healthy through pregnancy. Although I’m not pregnant, I have a lot of friends that are and I know they appreciate this type of content!
I’ll link both Kelly’s Instagram and YouTube channel down below so you can check out her content. No matter what, make sure you watch one of her recent Lululemon reviews!
Final Thoughts
These women are all different shapes, sizes, and ages. They are all at a different point in their fitness journey and are open to sharing that reality. With how much access we have to others on social media, I think it’s important to keep positive content in front of you, and negative content away from you. You are what you surround yourself with, and these ladies bring happiness, positivity, and motivation. I hope you enjoy their influence as much as I do, and hopefully you’ve gained another smiling face to see while scrolling!
Who are your favorite fitness influencers right now? Drop their name in the comment section below!