Exercise is an essential part of keeping healthy. This can be a tough truth. No matter how much of your time you dedicate to getting your sweat on, I am sure that a high percentage of us have experienced that inner turmoil when you have Jillian Michaels on one shoulder urging you to get your ass to the gym and Homer Simpson on the other begging you to put down that sneaker and go cook up some bacon.
I consider myself someone who counts working out as one of my ‘things’. I frequent the gym on a regular basis although you will never catch me posting gym selfies nor shall I ever make use of the hashtag #girlswholift. And while I try my very best to keep my diet somewhat respectable I still allow my inner foodie (and beer monster) to take the reins every now and then for the sake of my sanity.
But as much as I love and rely on my workouts, it is not always that easy to find the motivation to get there and kick ass every day – sometimes I need some serious inspiration. This can come in the form of flipping through a fitness mag, stalking the Instagram pages of hot chicks in bikinis, or checking out the social media activity of certain fitness accounts to really crank my guiltometer to high. Yup, social media can really light that fire to get you moving and to keep you on track. Check out our top 5 accounts if you ever find yourself spending more time indulging in cookies than cardio…
Equinox
Twitter: @Equinox
Instagram: @Equinox
The luxury fitness club describes itself as ‘a temple of wellbeing’ and the sleek, high-end studios can be found in New York, London, California and even keeping the Wolves of Bay Street in tiptop shape in our own city of Toronto. The Instagram account boasts a following of 4,500+ and they’re an even bigger deal in the Twitter world with almost 19,000 health nuts following for exercise advice and healthy meal options.
Women’s Health
Twitter: @womenshealthmag
Instagram: @womenshealthmag
I turned a corner in my fitness about 7 years ago when I gave up trashy celeb mags and traded them in for magazines such as this one. And now I don’t even have to part with my hard-earned dollars in order to find some inspiration to get moving. These guys tweet daily with workout plans, recipes, and advice on how to be your best self; and with 1.8 million followers and over 114K on Instagram clearly I’m not the only one lapping it up.
Goodlife Fitness
Twitter: @GoodlifeFitness
Instagram: @GoodlifeFitness
This Canadian gym giant has over 25,000 Twitter followers and with good reason as they really know how to create conversation with their members. Their Twitter feed is a testament to using the forum to not only chat with members but to deal with any customer service issues. That, along with motivational tips, makes this a fitness account worth following.
Flirty Girl Fitness
Twitter: @FlirtyGirlTO
Instagram: @FlirtyGirlTO
This Toronton-based fitness studio is all about getting the gorgeous ladies of our city motivated and moving without the intimidation of any testosterone (you know how some guys can be once they get lifting). Over 2,600 people follow for motivational quotes and class updates that will have you running on the spot to get the blood flowing!
Fitness and Nutrition
Twitter: @FITNESS
Instagram: @FLTNESS
The feed for this fitness crazed account is chock full of quotes which, although often trite, are sure to help you picture your ‘perfect’ self and help get you back on track. And if they don’t do the trick, there are more than enough images of gorgeously toned physiques to make you feel bad enough about yourself that you will ditch that burrito and head to Body Pump. Almost 2 million Tweeters and 3.5 thousand Instagrammers turn to these guys for motivation – it’s worth it a try.
Where do you get your fitness/health inspiration from? Comment below or Tweet us @ViewTheVibe.