Introduction into fitness trends

Fitspiration

Posts that are intended to inspire physical fitness and promote health. Found via various social media platforms like tiktok, insta, facebook. Typically includes photos and videos packaged with exercise and diet recommendation and sometime encouraging messages and quotes

Fitstagram and Fitspiration

Popularized by the covid-19 lockdown, youtube saw a 5x increase in fitness videos compared to years prior. It can have positive effects too especially when its focus is realistic exercise goals rather than appearance

Social Media and Fitness benefits

is reaching millions of people with a good message

Social media and its downsides

Increased body dissatisfaction, negative mood, decreased perception of attractiveness, embracing thinness as the ideal, limited range of diverse body shapes and types, focus on appearance rather than function and capabilites

Fitness studies and social media

Examined 100 of the most popular fitness influencer on instagram, they found that over 25% of these accounts were not credible based on revealing clothing, extreme body types, and number of fitness posts. Over 50% of the credible accounts did not have credentials or credible backgrounds. Also looked at similar ideas of individuals portrayed body image. Among 100 influencers, nearly 2/3 promoted unhealthy or unrealistic body shapes.

Problem with Social media fitness

Without a true understanding of the science, these influencers are at risk of hurting or putting someone in a situation that could have negative and detrimental consequences. This may lead to injuries or physical setbacks

One Size fits all??

There is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to general fitness, No regard to skill level, specific goals, age or degree of improvement, however moving your body is better than no movement at all.

Things to consider with fitness and social media

Gender such as physiological differences in performance and recovery, body type, starting place/fitness level, realistic, enjoyment, goal, previous injuries, nutrition, hydration and well-being

Example of considerations in fitness and social media

Women’s cortisol was higher on average, mens testosterone trended downward as season went on, while females was consistent. Women’s iron stores fell sharply→ enough to lower oxygen delivery, fatigue and slow recovery, growth hormone in women start high and fell sharply, while males was consistent