Sticking to my word from last time–yes, here is Part TWO of some of the best Black health and fitness influencers I’ve come across on social media thus far!! Granted, this process was actually quite challenging because I couldn’t narrow the list down to just 24 individuals. There were SO SO many to select from and plenty more! ALTHOUGH…for every Black influencer, there are 300-500 white health and fitness influencers just like them, so diversity is still quite poor in the wellness space. You can refer to my previous post for the main reasons why I’ve been proactive in showcasing more Black influencers, which I highly recommend you check out before proceeding with this list (though not necessary).
Again, there are plenty of terrific Black health and fitness influencers we can all check out that are not listed here, but thus far, these folks comprise of the next wave of incredible people in the wellness space! Note that I do not watch or see every single published piece of content on all the platforms I follow, so I most likely do not agree with everything they promote and might also be missing other amazing reasons to showcase them!
Without further ado, here are all the magnificent Black health and fitness influencers I have found more recently!
ALEXANDRIA LIGHTNING: nursing is a remarkable field that needs to be treasured in every single country. Alexandria Lightning radiates this angelic and very inspirational light (maybe suitable in her last name!) where she seems really driven, knowledgable, and confident in herself. The best aspects of her platform is how transparent she is about being a dark-skinned Black woman in nursing and how passionate she is in her work, including her health and beauty advice!
HELLAHGOOD9: if Hellah Sidibe is not the epitome of persistence, drive, and contagious positivity, I don’t know who or what is. Being a former professional soccer player and now bonafide vegan athlete, he does not skip ONE day of running. That’s right–NO days off of running! Hellah offers very insightful knowledge and advice on proper recovery, nutrition, tips, tricks, and recaps on running marathons, partaking in soccer games, and all sorts of races to encourage others to take on running or start any other endeavor they like because they definitely could work with anything!
JENNA DELEON: When I first stumbled upon Jenna, the first impression that amplified the most was confidence. She provides inspirational progress photos of her own journey with becoming healthier and fitter as well as efficient and portable workouts for anyone on-the-go or in a pinch like me (busy internship schedule life, oy). Plus, her photos are extremely aesthetic and her meals look very balanced in terms of macronutrients and packed with fresh fruits and vegetables. Can’t get any better than that!
DR. ROBIN B: You can probably guess that I ADORE seeing people in the medical field on social media! Dr. Robin B is no exception here–she is vibrant, genuine, and extremely intellectual in regards to her informative viewpoints and resources on her YouTube and podcast. It is magnificent how much diversity she exemplifies on her platform for interviews! I absolutely love her peeks into the pharmacy life and her fashion looks that are STUNNING–let’s normalize medical professionals showcasing other interests they have, please?
_HEALTHOVERWEALTH: When you stumble across Tkayla’s Instagram feed, you cannot deny that the tone is almost the exact same as exposing yourself to a beautiful ray of sunshine (that’s NOT carcinogenic!)! She holds such positivity and passion for both fitness and a healthy mindset. Her workout videos serious make me miss the gym and want to pump some iron while looking incredibly cute at the same time! Plus, her meals are all super balanced and colorful.
CRYSTALSENJULE: Nothing beats spotting a bright smile on my Instagram feed and Crystal’s is one of my favorites! She has some really fun workouts that can be done at home, the gym, the park, pretty much anywhere! Best of all, her IG stories are almost always filled with delectable vegan meals that also look realistic and healthy. Moreover, she always keeps it super authentic and detailed with her fitness journey, including the ups and the downs centered around food and body image!
3GYPTIANFIT: DAMN, am I in AWE and OBSESSED with Egypt Taylor’s Instagram. She is what I would call a tumble and splits QUEEN! She’s really inspired me to try more unconventional forms of athleticism and it’s super admirable to see someone like her perform Tae Kwon Do and back flips. Better yet, she always tackles on new challenges like Paige Hathaway’s plan and publishes her results and hard work! However, no matter what, she’s always glowing and happy in her own skin, which, I mean, she is GORGEOUS, so absolutely it makes sense!
IAMORIANCE: Speaking of more “unconventional” forms of fitness, Oriance is also a truly magnificent powerhouse! With her boxing videos–both shadow boxing and regular glove boxing–alongside her IG story depictions of her training and workout routines, you are DEFINITELY going to want to start trying kickboxing yourself! Not to mention, she’s an Elite National Champion and has won multiple awards for her athleticism while sharing some home-friendly workouts for this time, so super resourceful!
BTBEFIT: Tejal has such a bright and beautiful spread of photos that just emulate kindness, passion, and empowerment! What I love most about Tejal is how much she emphasizes fostering a lifestyle with balance around work and fitness instead of making diet and exercise the holy grail of one’s purpose. Her workouts are fun and intense, her fashion is vivid and colorful, and her smile is infectiously positive and stunning!
ULISSESWORLD: I stumbled upon Ulisses when randomly scrolling through TikTok and thought his videos were HILARIOUS! Nonetheless, he has some pretty phenomenal and well-executed exercise videos showcasing proper form and SUPER tough workouts. There are plenty more gems he incorporates into his platforms, including Instagram and YouTube (which I HIGHLY recommend because of how thoroughly informative his videos are, but I chose to showcase his TikTok because he seems to be more active there), discussing the best types of exercises for targeting muscle groups, building more mass, looking the healthiest you can, and staying consistent and motivated.
AVH_FITNESS: Something about Anissia’s radiance in her photos is absolutely enriching and lively. I was instantly drawn to her sparkling smile and the beautiful canyon rocky landscapes she poses in front of! Her exercise videos are invigorating and easy to follow, her sizing comparisons of athletic wear are incredibly helpful, and her daily IG stories just put a smile on anyone’s face! ALSO, her outfits are ADORABLE–you are going to want to purchase plenty from Balance Athletica, which she’s a leader for!
QIMMAH RUSSO: This woman is just FABULOUS–most people follow Qimmah on her Instagram (which I originally discovered her on), but honestly, I was much more drawn to her YouTube channel! Her exercise videos are very fun and focused on strength training (see, girls? Lift your weights!), but her overall personality is vivaciously spirited. I absolutely adore her Q&A videos showcasing her authentic self because it makes you want to be best friends with her!
SDW.FITNESS: Balancing university and fitness can be super challenging, so look no further if you need easy workouts that you can do on any busy day and in an environment with sunshine! Her captions are very uplifting and centered around developing confidence and nourishing yourself with love and acceptance. Best part: the circle of interests she possesses is extremely diverse (hello, biology and chemistry major!!), which is exemplified in her IG stories–of course, my favorite saved IG story tab of hers is skincare!
JESSAMYN STANLEY: So I’m no yoga fanatic or expert, but it is amazing to practice in times of extreme stress or when I’m struggling to sleep. As of lately, Jessamyn Stanley’s videos have been remarkably soothing! Turns out, she’s been practicing yoga for YEARS and does so very beautifully. What’s so refreshing about Jessamyn is her advocacy for loving your body for what it can do versus how it looks and nurturing your mind when it’s struggling with mental health issues–after all, I feel like yoga is quite oversaturated with physical representations that not everyone can attain. Truth be told, Jessamyn is a beautiful goddess inside and out!
KATRINA NICHOLE: Like Ulisses, I found Katrina Nichole while randomly browing TikTok for fitness videos. One of her HIIT videos popped up on my feed and her infectiously joyous attitude instantly prompted me to hit the follow button! Her fashion sense is DIVINE as is her exuberant emphasis on clean and non-toxic beauty, upbeat fitness, and love for all types of body parts, including those with stretch marks, rolls, cellulite, and more. Her exercise dances are SO much fun and I’ve been loving following them every single time I workout!
YAA.FITNESS: Bodybuilding is one area of fitness, but powerlifting is an entirely different one. Yaa is probably one of my top TOP favorite powerlifters because of how she integrates both powerlifting, functional bodyweight workouts, and calisthenics into a fun weekly routine! She has one of the most gorgeous smiles I’ve seen on Instagram as well as the best ways of motivating others in her post captions and IG stories!
SIMEON PANDA: Originally, I knew of Simeon as Chanel’s partner-in-crime, but I started to find many of his Instagram posts and YouTube videos in my recommendations page–low and behold, took a gander on his platforms, and I love them! Simeon has FANTASTIC follow-along workouts on his channel (found on Chanel’s too) that you can do at home or in the gym! I really like the cinematic work in his travel videos–very similar to those of Chanel (though this is most likely because they have the same person editing their videos, maybe?). He seems like a genuinely awesome and humble person altogether, which is extremely refreshing amidst the fitness influencers who are relatively self-absorbed and caught up in the money.
FLEXWITHBECCS: Becca, an absolute angel inside and out, has such a phenomenal Instagram with loads of follow along at-home workout videos that can be done anywhere at anytime! More importantly, she’s always focused on the mental benefits of exercising, being interactive with her followers, and celebrating every victory, big or small. What makes her unique is her track and field background where she showcases how she underwent physical recovery and started working out to become stronger, not just to look a certain way (highly recommend her Q&A for more information!)!
KIERA JANELLE: Do you want to follow someone who’s into fitness, veganism, AND transforming every aspect of yourself in the best way possible? Kiera Janelle is YOUR GIRL! She is constantly posting workout videos, uplifting affirmations, transformational photos of herself, and all kinds of posts that stop you in your tracks to reflect on how you truly are doing and remember your why. My favorite features of her Instagram include her food pictures and recipes, mindset tools, and empowering quotes!
PHYLLICIA BONANNO: Phyllicia’s platform is one of the BEST you can follow at this time in lockdown and the conundrum of uncertainty, losses, and much more. Her meditative soundbaths and yoga flows are absolutely wonderful for winding down after a tough workout, right before you go to bed, or honestly, just ANY time when you need a breather! She has absolutely radiant energy that will both prompt you to tune into your body and gain more awareness of the environment and solitude around you at the same time!
MILDRED S.: Millie is SUCH an incredible YouTuber to follow, though her Instagram is absolutely beautiful too! She breaks down fitness tactics and advice into relatively elementary-style information that can be implemented into any type of routine–I love her bodyweight workouts so much! Not only is Millie well-versed in getting shredded and building muscle, but she is also an oncology registered nurse. TOTALLY for anyone who has a passion for science and investing their knowledge and energy into improving our nation’s medical system!
DJ TOWNSEL: YAY to more yoga recommendations! DJ Townsel was amongst one of the best because of his freestyle yoga routines and the lovely settings he immerses himself in. However, he’s also SUPER fit with the weight training and plyometric-like exercises in some of his videos as well, which is fabulously inspiring! Something about his energy is very grounding and spiritually empowering, which only elevates how important health and wellness are. Plus, him and his significant other Jamie are SUCH a beautiful, beautiful couple who take the most breathtaking yoga pictures!
LAURYN MOSS: TikTok has surprised me with the amount of phenomenal, practical, and realistic fitness influencers present there, and Lauryn Moss is amongst the best. She is very outspoken on the cesspool of misinformation and silly, if not dangerous, TikTok wellness trends and clickbaity titles and videos to execute a message that seems healthy, but is represented in a skewed manner. I love how Lauryn showcases videos of herself performing both her CrossFit training sessions and cute dances with clarified messages of what we should ACTUALLY incorporate into our daily lives to achieve our fitness goals, plus what we can afford to dismantle in the wellness space!
DR. MIKE DIAMONDS: Like many, I am extremely interested in people who integrate their wealth of knowledge of the sciences into the wellness and fitness spaces–Dr. Mike Diamonds was someone I saw in a few channels I follow, but I never got around to watching his videos until months ago! His content is very well-edited and attentive to many details. Even me, who would NEVER compete if my life depended on it, actually enjoyed watching his whole process of entering fitness competitions! Who would have thought?!
DEJANE.FITNESS: Oh my golly, I LOVE Dejane’s Instagram! Her feed is loaded with all kinds of outstanding workouts you can keep in the back of your pocket if you’re in a pinch, as well as other cute selfies with inspiring and optimistic captions. She’s a NASM certified personal trainer with hidden gems to improve your progress and mindset while continuing to train. Moreover, it’s absolutely fantastic that her workout programs are self-guided and customizeable towards your necessities, stats, and goals!
Follow them all! P.S. Black lives STILL matter. P.S.S. We still need to arrest Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove.
