“Social Media” is everywhere. Even the BBC refers to it and uses it in its broadcasts. So, it’s not surprising that it has been celebrated as a vital channel of social and cultural communication. But it is also a (largely) unregulated source of misinformation.
And this is where I have issues with most of the social media platforms’ attitudes regarding their obligations to society – especially those individuals who have vulnerabilities in relation to their body image. Research suggests that “fitspiration” images in particular – which typically feature beautiful people doing exercise, or at least pretending to – can result in profoundly negative feelings of body dissatisfaction and a drive to lose weight to become ‘thin’ rather than ‘healthy’.
Research undertaken in 2023 has shown that ‘Gen Z’ and ‘Millennials’ are the most dedicated users of social media. Apparently, it has been found that 94% of those age groups were signed up to at least one of the social media providers in the UK. In 2023, the number of social media users in the United Kingdom totalled 62 million.
My concern is that the user-generated images and videos which “content creators” upload depict idealised and unrealistic body shapes and standards. (Increasingly using AI-generated visualisations which can appear to be genuine photographs).
The fear for the users who view this content is that they develop negative perceptions of their bodies, and desire unattainable goals. In fact, the images they are viewing of people with apparently flawless skin and perfect bodies, have more than likely undergone a process of manipulation to remove blemishes, edit body shape (and maybe even subtle surgery). This excess of fake “perfection” puts pressure on the user to aim to match the on-screen model and this could induce body dysmorphia, harmful eating habits and other mental health issues.
The influence of social media in the fitness and wellbeing arena is an existential challenge for personal trainers. We are conscious of the power of social media and have to be fully-prepared to accommodate the wishes of our clients while at the same time coaching them according to our codes of practice which promote healthy fitness and wellbeing programmes.
As a fitness specialist, along with other professionally-qualified personal trainers, I aim to help my clients work towards and achieve their goals through a more balanced and realistic approach to fitness and body image. My emphasis is on the importance of overall health and fitness, mobility, longevity and education rather than just appearance. The personalized workout plans, nutrition guidance and emotional support I am qualified to provide is designed to help individuals achieve their fitness goals in a healthy and sustainable way.
I believe that part of my role is to counteract the unhealthy and unhelpful influences exerted by social media by advancing and teaching a more holistic approach to health and fitness. I focus on strength, endurance, flexibility and overall wellbeing rather than just achieving a specific body type (because guess what? WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT!)
To me, the benefit to the client comes from prioritising overall wellbeing over external appearance. If you focus on the former, the latter tends to fall into place (and stick!).
Research and Acknowledgements
befitnessandpt.co.uk 