Sue’s Morning Stretch: Work out with the Nigerian Powerhouse

Anowa Adjah brings her brand of fitness to the Chicago area this week.

Known as the Nigerian Powerhouse, Adjah will lead two classes at the second annual Fitness Expo, which will be held Saturday in Rosemont.

When you hear Adjah’s weight — more than 200 pounds — some might figure she is fat, out of shape. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who’s watched her YouTube videos knows that Adjah, who is 5-10, is muscular, limber and strong. (Watch that crazy watermelon video here!)

And that’s the message she wants to bring to Chicago, as she makes her first visit here: you can be curvy and fit. “In a society that is primarily focused on numbers and ‘being skinny,’” Adjah said via an email interview, “I emphasize the importance of shedding weight but sustaining your shape.”

The New York-based Adjah says weight isn’t always an indicator of one’s health. “I’m a clear example that you can still be curvy, in shape and healthy,” she said. “I’m also a testimony that being over 200 pounds does not necessarily equate to being unhealthy.”

A certified personal trainer, Adjah wants to encourage fuller women who are trying to lose weight to forget about the celebrities they see in magazines. Those images do nothing but discourage women or worse, set off dangerous behaviors, according to Adjah. “Some women go to extreme length to mirror these unrealistic distorted images,” she said.

Besides her YouTube videos, her fans know Adjah from her workout DVDS, which include “Full-Body Curve Down” and “Plyometric Pump.”

The expo at Rosemont Health & FItness, 10225 W. Higgins Road in the suburb, will kick off with registration at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 19. Adjah’s 45-minute sessions — Fitness Jam — will be at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The day also includes Zumba and health/fitness exhibitors.

There also will be a meet and greet with Anowa from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 18, at Edge Gallery, 1610 W. Highland Ave.

Tckets begin at $20 (there are a variety of packages). A portion of the proceeds will go to the Thyck and Fit Wellness Initiative.

To purchase tickets, visit www.thycktroupechicago.org, call (847) 582-0555 or email info@thycktroupe.org.