Costa Rican Andrea Ramirez Brings Latin Fitness To Hong Kong
There’s no stopping this Latina boss babe.
Andrea Ramirez is not your regular fitness trainer. Specialising in toning and sculpting, Ramirez has helped countless women feel and look their best. As a business owner, wife, mom and personal trainer, Andrea wears many hats. But anyone who’s met Andrea would tell you she’s one of the most sincere, passionate souls who always spreads positive energy and makes others feel good about themselves.
First brought to Hong Kong by Pure Fitness, the Costa Rican opened her own fitness studio, AndFit HK, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. We sat down with the Latin American #bossbabe to talk about her fitness journey, personal must-haves and favourite female-owned brands.
Have you always wanted to be a fitness trainer?
I have wanted to be a trainer since I was 12. Ever since I saw this fitness instructor called Nany Sevilla teaching a TV show, I decided I want to be like her. She eventually became my mentor.
My mom would record her sessions live on these big cassettes when she’s live on TV. And when I came home after school my mom would play the videos for me to do exercise. She didn’t want to send me to the gym and I didn’t like ballet where I was going.
When I was 17, I pretended that I was a client and called the gym where she was working at. I said I was her client who’s lost her phone number and needed to call her urgently. They gave me her number. I called her and told her I’ve been a fan since I was 12. I asked, literally, “Would you mentor me?” She thought I was crazy but said yes!
After she invited me to one of her TV shows, she said I was perfect for TV and asked if I could come every Tuesday to shoot with her the whole day? So I asked my school to give me permission to go in the afternoons with her. Eventually she invited me to Las Vegas to take a certification and attend this convention together. She paid for the flight tickets and everything. It was my first Pilates certification and I did one on sculpting, too.
After that, she left Costa Rica and I kept doing small TV shows. After that, I spent a few years in Hong Kong as a Pure Fitness instructor. A few years later, I moved to Nicaragua where I had my own show on a TV channel for 2 years. It was called Viva Fitness. I was crazy. I had this idea that you can conquer whatever, and I was really determined to go get it.
What defines a modern woman in 2020 to you?
It’s about living a life of fulfillment. For me it's about work-life balance, having my family, business and friends. I was raised in a culture where women are expected to be a housewife, stay home and look after the kids. And I never wanted to do that. Not that I don’t respect that but I wanted to be more. The modern woman to me is the woman who has it all, everything works: family, kids, finances, health, spirituality.
What’s one accessory every woman must have?
Good hair. Personally, my hair has always been something I’d never hold back to take care of. Your hair is a frame of your face—It has its own personality.
I’ve always been obsessed with earrings as well, it’s also part of the face. I don’t care so much about an expensive bag, shoes, or clothes. I’m set when my hair, earrings and mascara are sorted.
What does your self-care routine look like?
Every morning I pray and ask for a lot of clarity and guidance on decisions, I believe in signs, and in being a good person. Like today, I asked God to give me someone I could help, anyone in need. Things like that takes me away from being selfish and just being in my own world. When I get too stressed at work, I ask God who I can help. I follow women who are pastors and preachers. I get very inspired in the morning when I listen to podcasts like the one by spiritual leader Gabby Bernstein.
As a business owner, I get a lot of people coming to me constantly and I’m always looking for ways to protect my energy—to me that’s self-care. Setting boundaries without verbalising it. It’s easy to stress out, so I do pray constantly and let go.
What’s your favourite female-owned brand(s) at the moment?
I love J.Lo as a brand. She’s really inspiring to me. I’m a fan of her jeans and perfume. I’ll be all over her JLO BEAUTY products when I can get my hands on them. I just admire her, she’s in her 50s and totally in her elements.
And of course, Natasha Moor. She puts so much passion into her cosmetics. Love her concealers and mascara—I work out in them. Oh and her matte lipsticks—they last forever and won’t smudge underneath the mask.
Who’s your Chika?
All my babes who come to AndFit. Everyone that I meet when I teach them, many of them are strong women who are super supportive of me. I have a group of Latinas who are very important to me. We meet every month to cook, sing, dance, and go wild. They’re my Chikas.
Follow Andrea @AndFit
