The impact of Fitspiration: Positives and Negatives

Is fitspiration on social media helping us or hurting us? The answer to this is not very clear. All of us will have different opinions, and everyone has the right to disagree with others. I hope we all have this tolerance, though. 😛 So, let’s explore some positives and negatives about fitspiration on social media. 

Social media is a platform or a technology that helps us sharing ideas, thoughts, information through the virtual network. And, it also helps us stay connected. And, this platform has also allowed many people to grow their communities in various fields of interest. 

Yes, we are talking about the influencers. And particularly about the fitness/ health influencers. Or, simply the health and fitness pages. Most of us have at least one person who’s an inspiration for us and, we get influenced by their thoughts or ideas. Or at least they create some impact on our decision-making. And that’s why we call them influencers.:D  

 You can find plenty of images on the social media accounts of people working out in the gym, wearing new gym clothes, drinking protein shakes, sharing their accomplishments or, eating in fancy restaurants that offer healthy food. These posts might inspire some to start their fitness journey and, they will feel motivated. But, these posts can make other people feel bad about their bodies. And for some viewing, these posts can have a negative impact. Especially, hitting the body image. 

So, what can we do? Can we stop someone from not sharing their fitness journeys or their workout images? 

The answer is No! We cannot stop anyone from doing anything. If someone loves sharing such posts, they have every right to do that. And, they should do that because they are indeed an inspiration for many.

But, we can decide what we want to see and what motivates us. We can train our minds to deal with such things. Social media has its advantages and disadvantages. 

The positive impact of Fitspiration:

1. Motivation factor: No one can deny this fact when we spend most of our time on social media and, it impacts our decisions significantly. So, they can also help us get out of our comfy bed and clothes. And, this motivation to hit the gym or go for a small workout session is the strongest when you see your friend or family members doing it. If the weather out there is cold and you see people posting their images, you will also feel like stepping out. 
2. Fitness challenges: Lockdown has sent all of us indoors and, social media helped us stay connected. Many different fitness challenges were happening on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media apps. And, people posted their videos too. These challenges helped us stay active. 
3. Eating habits: This is probably one of the best impacts that social media has created. Our eating habits change a lot with the people we follow. And, we learn many different healthy recipes through these people. Some of them will introduce you to the restaurants and brands that offer healthy food. And, that’s great because one should keep a balance to stay healthy. 
4. Increases fitness education: Not everyone has proper knowledge about food and nutrition. And, some people don’t bother about what they eat. But, some pages are providing information about the products and the food we eat. They are helping us to buy the best for us. And, we rely on the brands and products recommended by them. In a nutshell, these pages are helping us in making healthy choices. However, if the promotion is done only for profit then it can push you towards some unhealthy products. So, it is necessary to do some research yourselves before making any decision. 
5. Fitness groups: Not everyone can stay dedicated towards health and fitness for the long run. Some find it challenging to work out regularly or change eating habits. So, the fitness groups or communities on social media can help you stay on track. A running club, yoga classes, etc. can help you stay in touch with like-minded people and build healthy habits in the long run. 

Everything comes with its risks. So, social media is not something different. These motivating and encouraging posts might not look motivational to some. Let’s talk about the negatives of the Fitspiration on Social media.

The negative impact : 

1. Fitness models: Not everything you see on social media is true. Yes, it is indeed a great platform to flaunt achievements. But, when it comes to actresses or some fitness models, it is not always true. Don’t forget the power of photoshop and brands. No, not all of them are photoshopped. Many worked hard for it. And we must appreciate their work. We only mean that “ Not everything you see is real. ” 
2. Fitness is expensive: Again, not everyone can afford that expensive equipment, fitness clothes, or expensive protein powders. But, some of the influencers and pages will make you believe that you can’t achieve any of your fitness goals if you don’t include them in your life. Having the motivation to achieve your goals can help you reach your goals. Don’t get trapped in the expensive fitness world. Start with what you have. And, here’s a quick guide to help you : Diet plan.
3. Alarming factor: Watching people performing tough exercises, or flaunting their six-pack abs might make some people believe that they are just not made for this. And, they may end up not trying anything. All this will happen because you saw something challenging there and thought you could never do that. 
4. Wrong information: Information on social media can spread very fast and, especially if uploaded by some special personality. Over relying on social media can be dangerous. Some influencers on social media will never use the products, they are promoting. But, we will end up buying them because we trust them. The only person who’ll suffer here is the consumer.And, it is popularly known as Influencer marketing.

5. Injuries: You will find people lifting heavyweights in their gym and flaunting the idea of ” No Pain, No Gain”. And, in few cases, people will have the desire to copy them. But, you will end up harming yourself when you do this without realizing your strength. And, you’ll end up spending months on the bed. It’s better to appreciate your efforts and improve gradually.Focus on your form.Fitness needs time and effort. Don’t pressurize your mind and body to do something it would regret later. 

Ask yourself, is the Fitspiration working for you?

You are important!