Latina trainers are boosting the virtual fitness boom
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Camila Ramón (left) and Xochilt Hoover. Photos: Courtesy of Peloton, and Nike
As virtual fitness continues to boom, Latina trainers are increasingly leading accessible at-home workouts.
Why it matters: Latinos in the U.S. have some of the highest rates of physical inactivity among racial and ethnic groups, CDC data shows.
- Exercise reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes — which U.S. Hispanics have a 50% chance of developing — and of other diseases. Exercise also releases endorphins that can also help with anxiety and depression, studies show.
Zoom in: Platforms for home workouts like the free Nike NTC app, Apple Fitness+ or the Peloton app all have Latinos leading some of their classes.
- About 12% to 14% of certified athletic trainers in the U.S. are of Latino origins, per estimates from Deloitte's Data USA and career site Zippia. In 2015, Latinos made up about 8% of trainers.
- The virtual fitness market is estimated to be worth $14.9 billion and expected to grow to $250 billion within the next decade.
What they're saying: Camila Ramón is a bilingual Peloton instructor who last month premiered a four-week strength training series in Spanish.
- The Argentine American tells Axios Latino one of her biggest drivers in deciding to become a trainer was to "motivate Latinos into fitness by showing we can train to have a good time, get stronger and it doesn't have to be about changing who we are."
- Ramón always includes Latin music in her classes, which she says is another component to make people feel good and associate working out with a positive thing.
- "I've gotten messages from people saying that by how much I express who I am when leading classes, they're also more motivated" to be who they are and have pride in their roots.
Xochilt Hoover, a yoga trainer of Nicaraguan ancestry with workouts available on Netflix and NTC, says she wants more and more Latinos to get into health and mindfulness.
- "Because there is power in moving," especially during times of stress or uncertainty, as "the more you move your body the more connected you are with yourself," she says.
- Hoover says she began training to be a yoga teacher during a difficult period in her life, so she knows firsthand how getting in even a short workout makes a difference.
- "It was very much like I'd been in a really bad, dark place and yoga helped me get through," she says. "Being able to share that message through this practice means a lot to me."
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