If you’re looking for a little inspiration, you may find it in your own pocket. Your phone is your window to social media, where you’ll find an endless feed of inspirational quotes and gym selfies. Looking at a friend’s delicious and low-fat meal might move you to have a healthy dinner too. Or somebody’s picture of the amazing view from the top of the mountain they just hiked might motivate you to hit the trail. These are just some of the ways your Instagram account could be inspiring you to live a more healthy lifestyle. Athletes, health-conscious cooks and fitness enthusiasts have embraced the photo sharing application as a platform to promote healthy living. In 2014, 80 percent of the top five Instagram accounts were sports- and fitness-based, according to social media analyst Phillip Ross. So check out these five Instagram accounts that might give you the inspiration you’re looking for.
Danielle Walker
@againstallgrain
This New York Times bestselling author wrote the book on Paleo. Literally. After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the age of 22, Walker made some pretty drastic changes to her diet. She cut out grains, lactose and legumes and started a blog about the creative ways she was cooking and still enjoying food. Her first cookbook, Against All Grain: Delectable Paleo Recipes to Eat Well & Feel Great and her followup cookbook Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime offer recipe ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and even weekly meal planning. She rarely makes a dish at home that doesn’t go up on the ‘gram. Get ideas for your own gluten-free, dairy-free Paleo meals when you follow her @againstallgrain – like macadamia nut waffles in stone fruit syrup.
Jeanette Jenkins
@msjeanettejenkins
A trainer and a nutritionist, Jeanette Jenkins is the president and founder of The Hollywood Trainer. She has sculpted the bodies of Kelly Rowland, P!nk, Taryn Manning and Tia Mowry and is best known for her Bikini Bootcamp program. Once you follow her @msjeanettejenkins, you’ll be motivated to get a bikini bod too. Her account features many posts of her in a bikini with links to the workouts that helped her get so confident. She also posts motivational quotes that preach positivity and inner strength.
Sarah Wilson
@iquitsugar
When journalist Sarah Wilson experimented with quitting sugar, she started her own personal journey and an entire movement. She has encouraged more than 600,000 people to quit sugar with her eight-week program. Wilson posts recipes for treats like cheesecake, milkshakes and cupcakes with no sugar and you’ll also find sugar-related news and updates on her account @iquitsugar. She is also in the habit of posting prompts like “I did the eight-week program and I…” that get followers commenting, talking and sharing their own story. It makes for a pretty sweet online community.
#BalletBeautifulParis ? Morning workout @colette #ColetteGym #BalletBeautiful ? #Paris A photo posted by Mary Helen Bowers (@balletbeautiful) on
Mary Helen Bowers
@balletbeautiful
Who doesn’t want to have a slender ballet dancer body? Mary Helen Bowers is a former New York City ballet dancer who went on to create Ballet Beautiful. She famously trained Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan and her ballet-inspired fitness program is offered as a live class in her flagship studio in SoHo. But classes are also available online or in private training. Her account @balletbeautiful is an exercise in beauty and grace that will make you want to point your toes and stand up straighter. And posts often link to tutorials, so you’ll be mastering the barre in no time.
Lee Holmes
@leesupercharged
Lee Holmes is a holistic coach, Whole Foods chef and the author of the book, Super Charged. She encourages followers to “eat the colors of the rainbow” with her beautifully plated meals of chicken veg soup or berry breakfast bowls. Holmes promotes listening to your body and feeding it what it needs. Her recipes are all gluten-, wheat-, dairy-, yeast- and sugar-free but can easily be altered to fit your dietary restrictions or needs. Besides Super Charged, she has also written Eat Yourself Beautiful and Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian. She has even published an eBook titled Super Charged Food for Kids with 90 recipes that are all kid-friendly. But you’ll find that her simple, attainable recipes on her account @leesupercharged are delicious for any age.
