Social Media and How it Makes you Misconceive the Truth About Health and Fitness

Social Media is filled with posts of people showing off their bodies and let's be honest, they look like they have been sculpted by the mighty Zeus himself.

Truth is, it does not make you feel good about where you are with the talking tummy you see in the mirror.

Let me Clear Up a few Things:

Fiction vs Reality

Recently, we have seen many posts pop up showing how popular accounts take pictures in certain angles, lighting, and editing to make all those stretch marks fade away.

Before I get threats of my hair being cut off, some people do not have stretch marks and they were sculpted by Zeus through genuine health and working on their physical appearance.

Everything on that account you cannot wait to see on Instagram might not be as real as you think.

What Influencers do to Get there

Reading through some interviews with influencers staying anonymous, it goes as far as hiring professionals on Fiverr to edit pictures and videos to perfect the art of looking skinny with the big "bootay".

My fiancé works as a Personal Trainer and often says that some come to the gym to take pictures and leave.

As stated by one influencer "You're not living the real you. You have a personality as soon as the camera is on and you are afraid to go out of your home and be recognized and people see what your body looks like."

What We do to Get there

I will not dwell on this topic too long as there are some very saddening stories in this area. However, there have been many accounts of people starving to the point of hospitalisation. Depression has been a major factor in this generation as social media has shaped what you're body "should" look like versus what your body looks like. We all know where this is going so let's end that there.

Is it Realistic?

Yes and No. There are many factors to consider when striving for what we perceive the perfect body to be. First, we need to fix the whole perfect body image social media has planted into our brains.

Let us start with health and fitness in general, what it is defined as.

According to experts, the definition is as follows: Health is a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being. Fitness is defined as the ability to meet the demands of the environment.

Yes, read that again. Did I miss it or does it not state anything to do with what your body looks like?

Also, take note that the first thing mentioned is mental health. It is most important to move on to the next step of physical.

We want to achieve the physical and neglect the mental. My advice, stop looking at social media to define your goals.

Does your body type determine what you can look like?

Absolutely! There are different body shapes made up of the skeletal frame and body composition.

Looking like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is not possible for everyone even if you train like him for years on end. This is due to the skeletal frame and composition of your body. I'll post an article soon relating to your body type and how to determine which one you have.

My Rant

I am so fed up with what people determine to be healthy and fit when looking at social media posts. I urge you to look at the scientific facts to reduce the issues we have in society such as mental health issues.

You are more than what your body looks like and how much the scale says you are worth.

Some horrible people in society even deem it okay to tell people after not seeing them for a while that they have gained weight. How shallow and inconsiderate can one be? Furthermore, have you any idea what the reason is behind it?

Skinny and muscular are not the definitions of healthy and fit so leave that junk to the uneducated.

Phew, enough of that.

My goal for you after reading this is to help you understand what social media has done to the fitness industry, how you perceive what health and fitness mean, and to others, be considerate of the message you put out there as it may have fatal consequences for some.