I am absolutely in love with Ada’s fitness series. Her YouTube series is an experience. She brings in music from the diaspora and makes squats, lunges, and jumping jacks look like fun. This is an excellent way to get your fitness fix without derailing your financial goals. Over the next couple of months, Ada will be the resident “Frugal & Fitness Feminista.” Don’t forgot to subscribe to her YouTube channel and spread the love about this movement.

-K

by Ada-Ari
Working out is a subtle, but integral part of our financial health. Healthcare has seen a close correlation between those who lead healthy lifestyles – including exercising regularly – and those who require minimal hospital visits. For us, this could translate into reduced costs in medical bills from co-pays and medication. It also frees us up to work harder and generate more income when our health is not a major concern or stressor in our lives. Many corporations have tuned into this opportunity to reduce healthcare costs and increase employee efficiency, and, to that end, find ways to encourage their employees to work out. But very few companies go the full distance and provide free gym membership. We have very nice gym facilities in my office, but I still have to pay a monthly fee to use it.

When we look around, we find high gym-membership fees and expensive personal trainers. Many of the popular home-exercise programs also come with a high price point. For those of us with little wiggle room in our budget, we face a threat of putting fitness in the back seat in order to afford other things. And this simply should not be the case. We could look to the internet for free workout videos, but with such a wide variety of options, how do you know (a) which you will like (b) which one is actually safe to do.
To help narrow down the search, I am dedicating my YouTube channel to workouts that you can do at home. As a group exercise instructor, I know that the intersection of the right music and exercise can be magical. On a weekly basis, I will upload videos that highlight great workout routines set to some of Africa’s hottest hits. I hope this will inspire you to stay fit and remain financially responsible.

My Video “Amarachi” provides a great cardio and agility workout. The workout is set to a great Igbo beat (Igbo is a tribe in Nigeria). Try it out, and let us know what you think.
Yours in fitness,
Ada-Ari

Ada-Ari is a Washington DC-based certified fitness instructor. Subscribe to her YouTube channel: Adagurl. Follow her on Instagram: @ada_ari

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