Hating on the fitness industry, especially so-called “fitness influencers,” seems to be the “in” these days.
Prominent fitness professionals themselves hate on the industry; researchers have concluded “[…] that viewing fitspiration models on Instagram was more likely to lower self-perceived sexual attractiveness among women […],” and the New York Times published an article titled “Most Fitness Influencers Are Doing More Harm Than Good.”
However, the consumer’s self-responsibility aspect is sadly overlooked in the discussion. It’s easy to point fingers and blame others for making us feel or behave a certain way.
But what we really should be looking at more are our own insecurities and body-image issues. We must ask ourselves why we find fitness influencers triggering, why we consume fitness content in the first place, and how we can learn to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful content.
And if we get inspired by consuming fitness content or triggered by it depends on our attitude, self-image, and willingness to learn as much as it depends on what creators put on display.
What Does Being A Fitness Influencer Even Mean?
While “fitness influencers” seem to be an easy target for critics of the fitness industry, I have yet to come across a clear definition of who actually is a fitness influencer.
Is it the running mom who shares her adventures through simple photographs?
Is it the running coach who creates high-quality educational video content, hosts a podcast, and works with athletes from all walks of life?
Is it the athlete who uses social media to engage with their fans and is sponsored by big-name brands?
The influencer marketing platform Klear suggests that “[…] an interested and engaged audience is the true determiner of influencer success. When identifying a fitness influencer it’s important to asses their audience.” The blog ainfluencer.com says, “Fitness influencers are people who promote healthy living by sharing their own personal experiences and advice with their followers.”
So, we can conclude that basically everyone who shares their fitness journey can be seen as an influencer.
Hence, it doesn’t really make much sense to use “fitness influencers” as the scapegoat for our body image issues and lack of understanding about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.
Why You Get Offended By Social Media Fitness
We live in a time where people get easily offended. When you voice your opinion, you risk being attacked or blocked without warning – even if you expressed yourself rationally and without resorting to hate speech, bullying, or other forms of verbal abuse.
Simply stating that being obese is unhealthy or that you prefer having a partner who is not overweight can get you into trouble.
And so is it any wonder that guys who are proudly sporting their hard-earned six-pack or girls who display their peach butt that’s the result of year-long focus and discipline regularly get hate for promoting “unrealistic beauty standards” or “glamorizing the endless pursuit of ‘getting shredded’?”
However, usually, those influencers do not tell their followers they must look like them to be happy.
I wonder where the assumption that they do comes from and why “ordinary” looking people or severely overweight people don’t get the same level of backlash for promoting “being average” or “being overweight.”
Most fitness people I know don’t promote how their body looks as the be-all and end-all for everyone. But they love having a specific look, and they proudly display it because they know how much hard work went into building the body they have.
They have all right to be proud of themselves for achieving a challenging goal many won’t reach.
So why the hate? What is wrong with inspirational content? Countless people have changed their lives for the better and gotten healthier because they were inspired by those fitness influencers you like to hate on.
Why Hating On Fitness Social Media Is Counterproductive
The next time you hate on fitness social media, consider this: fitness is a gateway drug for personal development, and many people (including myself) have changed their lives for the better by starting a fitness journey.
I have conquered extreme social anxiety and built a successful career because running taught me how to tune into my body and how to master my mindset.
Yes, charlatans and hucksters are in the industry, just like in any industry. But that doesn’t mean you can’t trust any “fitness influencer.”
Many coaches genuinely want to help people improve their lives, and many great coaches are out there. But when you approach fitness social media with the belief that fitness influencers generally promote dangerous lifestyles, harmful exercises, or unrealistic body standards, you will miss the positive.
Moreover, by blaming social media influencers for your unhealthy relationship with your body and your problems with body image, you hand over your responsibility to heal your self-image to people on the internet.
Instead of hating, use your common sense.
Everything you consume should be used as a tool for reference. Just as you should be critical and not take everything you read in your newspaper or hear your friends gossip about as fact-value, you shouldn’t take everything you see on social media as fact-value.
And instead of being offended by people who proudly live the fitness lifestyle, get inspired.
None of us is perfect. We all could improve some aspect of our lives.
And for many, the first step is to improve their fitness and health.
Develop A Healthy Relationship With Fitness Content
Let’s be realistic. Social media is not going away anytime soon. And fitness content on social media is not going away any time soon.
So, if you have any negative feelings about fitness social media, you are left with two choices.
The first is to simply not engage with that type of content anymore.
Just as I don’t engage with architects’ or lawyers’ content online because I have no interest in either topic, you are free to choose to not engage with online fitness content anymore.
The second option is to change your mindset around fitness social media and develop a healthy relationship with it.
Choosing the second option will lead you down a more difficult path because it means that you will have to work on your relationship with yourself and your body, on top of being selective about what you consume.
And if you want to consume social media fitness content, ask yourself why.
Do you want to lose weight, improve your sports performance, or learn a specific type of exercise (pilates, yoga, kettlebell training)?
Use social media as a source of information, but always stay critical and use common sense. There are no magic tricks or hacks to get healthy, improve your athletic performance, or lose weight.
It’s best to stay away from accounts that sell weight-loss products or detoxes of any kind.
I personally also stay away from fitness professionals who critique other fitness professionals because I generally try to avoid negative people.
Which brings me to my final point.
You alone have the power over your thoughts and how you view the fitness world.
You can either draw inspiration and motivation from it, or you can blame it for your insecurities and body image issues.
The choice is yours.