Society often pushes unrealistic standards, particularly for women, making it challenging to embrace yourself at every stage of your journey. But in Whitney Simmons' world, the focus shifts away from perfection and centers on self-acceptance and staying true to who you are. Today, we dive into categories that celebrate Whitney Simmons and her powerful influence on women everywhere. Whether it's fitness, body positivity, or mental health, Whitney Simmons has made a significant impact, inspiring countless women to embrace their authentic selves. Let's explore Whitney Simmons’ incredible journey and the positive changes she's helping to bring about for women.
This influencer reminds us that it’s alright to stumble, make mistakes, and laugh at ourselves along the way. It’s important that we let go of the pressure to be perfect and celebrate self-love.
Psoriasis: A Personal Journey of Shame to Self-Acceptance
A great example of Whitney's authenticity is when she shared her experience with Psoriasis, a condition she’s had for over 13 years. She talked about feeling ashamed and having her confidence shattered over and over again. “Whether it’s psoriasis or stretch marks, cellulite or acne…be gentle to yourself…I’ve worked so hard to embrace what makes me unique.”
The US-based influencer took to Instagram to share a picture of herself posing in a bikini, with her psoriasis on display. Psoriasis is a chronic disease which causes red, itchy, scaly patches across the skin and is believed to be linked to an issue with the immune system. She said she often felt embarrassed by the condition and tried endlessly to hide it. “The endless nights I’ve spent dreaming of clear skin,” she captioned the post. “The summer days I’ve spent covered head to toe to hide my psoriasis. It’s taken a lot of time and a lot of work to love the skin I’m in... to love my imperfections. And I continue to work on it each and every day. It’s a constant battle; stress, diet, the change in weather... it all can change how my plaques look and feel. I’m having a big time flare up right now.”
Her post has been praised by hundreds of others for its vulnerability. One woman wrote, “I have it on my legs and butt! It’s debilitating sometimes and I’m so grateful you shared this photo because it makes me feel a little more normal.” Another shared, “I have battled with psoriasis my whole life - and for the longest time was ashamed of it and hid myself.”
Whitney has taken the same approach to her psoriasis. “The more severe it got, the more I wanted to cover it,” she says. She worried that showing it would make people uncomfortable. But now, she chooses to be vulnerable. “I have so many women in my DMs who say, ‘I used to cover every inch of my body at the gym, and now I just don’t care. I am going to wear the shorts.’”
“I stopped letting my skin define me. I stopped trying to hide what I’m often embarrassed of. Here’s your friendly reminder that everyone has something. You’re beautiful. You’re amazing. And most importantly, you are you and nobody can take that away from you.”
Fitness, Entrepreneurship, and Empowerment
This influencer is great at combining fitness with a healthy dose of fun. Her lively personality makes her a great source of inspiration. In fact, she’s even made the catchphrase “gusset check” popular, encouraging her followers to check that everything is in place during workouts. What’s also great is that she includes the triumphs and challenges of her personal fitness journey, even revealing moments where she struggles to complete sets. Through her content, women receive education and empowerment from a friendly figure.
This influencer’s passion for women’s health goes beyond her online presence. She has successfully moved into entrepreneurship by creating her own fitness app called Alive. The Alive app features daily workouts and programs for all fitness levels. It gives clear instructions so it’s easy to follow along during sessions.
This influencer has also partnered with Gymshark to create five collections, with the final one launching back in January of 2023. Creating her own merch and working with fitness brands that reflect her values shows that she cares about offering women tools and support for their fitness journeys.
Navigating Mental Health and Personal Loss
She has several YouTube videos openly discussing how she lost her way and found self-worth in a toxic relationship. In 2020, she faced the loss of someone close to her, which only heightened her struggles with anxiety and depression while also having to navigate through grief. Since then, she has been honest about her ongoing battle. One moment, she may feel like herself again, but the next she is having another difficult month.
Her catchphrase on YouTube, “It’s a beautiful day to be alive,” is a good reminder to her audience to appreciate their bodies for keeping them alive and functioning. In May 2023, she had the opportunity to speak at Rare Beauty’s mental health summit and has developed a great partnership with the brand.
Despite having a large following and subscriber count, this influencer recognizes the importance of maintaining boundaries. Specifically, after the loss of her friend, there was pressure to continue promoting her healthy lifestyle. Instead, she took a break from YouTube for six months and posted again in January 2023.
Another way she tried to create balance between her life online and offline was by trying to keep her wedding video from October 2022 private. Unfortunately, due to contracts, they couldn’t keep it entirely offline, so she and her husband decided to share it on their own terms. Despite the outcome not being what they had wanted, she set a positive example by expressing the hope for privacy during such an intimate moment. It’s important for influencers and everyone who posts online to establish boundaries.
During college in Utah, she stopped cheerleading and moved home after her sophomore year. Feeling lost without the structure of sport, she realized that activity was the thing that supported her mental health the most. Her dad, an avid exerciser, brought her to the gym and she “fell in love” with lifting weights. By the time she graduated and started her first job in marketing, “the gym was my world,” she says. She launched her YouTube channel in January 2016. And that September, Whitney lost her job. So she decided to go all in on YouTube. As her content ramped up, so did the views. However, the gym “used to be my escape from work, and now it is work,” she says. It’s also a job done in front of millions of people who have opinions on everything from her voice to her glutes; for the first time, she started struggling with body image.
In August 2020, Whitney was working out at a local gym when she received a text that a close friend had passed away from cancer. She sped home, curled up in a ball in the shower, and cried. Almost immediately, her perspective on the physical gym space shifted. It reminded her of that text. When she passed that spot, she couldn’t breathe. She didn’t go back for over a year. She didn’t even want to get out of bed, let alone exercise. “From seeing nothing beautiful in any day, to now-I am so grateful that I made it through that.”
She tried to pull back from social media-“I didn’t even know who I was at that moment”-but she had a job to do. And the Internet notices everything. Some accused her of faking a mental illness; others said her attempts to smile through pain promoted toxic positivity. When her birthday came around the next February, Whitney struggled to understand why she-a person being picked apart online-had lived to celebrate another year when her late friend didn’t.
One evening in May 2021, after reading a particularly mean-spirited thread, she was driving alone in Utah when she approached a U-turn with a concrete wall in front of her. Driving toward it, Whitney contemplated ending her life. But “at the very last second, I decided, ‘Not yet,’” she recalls. Those thoughts terrified her. Within a week, she was seeing a therapist, who diagnosed her with severe depression and anxiety. As much as the unkind side of social media nudged Whitney into that dark place, its bright spots are what ultimately encouraged her to share her story a few months later. She didn’t know how to answer followers’ questions about what happened to the fun, goofy Whitney they thought they knew. “I was tired of feeling ashamed of something when there was nothing to be ashamed of.” So on September 13, 2021, she told her story on the Fleurish podcast, and the positive response gave her the confidence to keep discussing her mental health on YouTube and Instagram.
Today, Whitney speaks as candidly about therapy and Lexapro as she does about her love of shoulder day and her two dogs. Her fitness app, aptly named Alive, places emphasis on mental health. The certified trainer credits her therapist with teaching her to take things a day at a time, and her husband of one year, Stefan, with helping to heal her inner child. Her confidence is back, and it’s palpable. “From seeing nothing beautiful in any day, to now-I am so grateful that I made it through that,” she says. “It is a beautiful day to be alive.” Turns out, she was telling herself what she needed to hear all along.
Whitney Simmons' Lasting Impact
Well, that wraps up our exploration of Whitney Simmons. Whitney Simmons has become a powerful force in the fitness and wellness community, empowering women to prioritize both their mental and physical health. Whitney Simmons uses her platform to connect with and motivate women, encouraging them to embrace their authentic selves. Her unique content, paired with her genuine authenticity, provides an extra boost of motivation that leaves you feeling empowered and ready to take on anything.
Engaging with Whitney Simmons is about more than just fitness-it's about embracing silliness, self-acceptance, and community. Her down-to-earth approach attracts a supportive, like-minded audience, creating a space where people feel uplifted and encouraged during tough times. From discussions on makeup to fitness and mental health, Whitney Simmons fosters genuine connections that help women navigate both the online world and the challenges they face in real life.
