The fitness trend "fitspo" motivates millions of people to live healthier. But there is a downside
Motivation for healthy eating, regular exercise, etc. is undoubtedly commendable, which is perhaps why the hashtag fitspo has gained so much popularity in recent years - it already appears in tens of millions of pictures. However, despite this, there has been very little information on the real effects of fitspo on the human psyche. So while a photo and a motivational challenge might actually get someone to start living healthier, there seems to be another side to the coin.
It's probably undeniable that looking at pictures of men with ripped muscles and women whose bodies might as well be on the cover of magazines can motivate someone to start doing something about themselves. Indeed, images like these can act as a kind of engine for sticking to an exercise or fitness routine. After all, it's quite natural for people to aspire to an ideal look (regardless of the realistic degree of its unattainability), whether it's presented in the pages of fashion magazines or just on social media. That fitspo can indeed be motivating was then proven by research (the only one that exists on the subject) that gave women the option of viewing either a set of fitspo images or vacation pictures. In the end, it turned out that those women who viewed images with the fitspo category actually subsequently said they wanted to improve their fitness, but also to eat healthier
But unfortunately, the same research showed that viewing fitspo images also had a negative impact on the respondents' body image - it increased their dissatisfaction with how they looked, which ultimately led to women feeling frustrated with their less-than-ideal proportions. Simply put, it is clear that exposure to photographs of men flaunting their biceps or women showing off their buttocks or flat stomachs will resonate with everyone in some way. Unfortunately, however, only in a minimal number of cases does it resonate in such a way that one promptly goes to the gym. The classic result is more or less a bad feeling about oneself (because one simply doesn't look as perfect as others in the pictures) and "worship" of those who have already got into shape. And they share their successes online (which also usually gets them massive recognition from others).
Zdroj: Giphy
The road to hell is paved with good intentions...
It's perhaps quite ironic that fitspo came about as a reaction to another related trend, called thinspiration. This is an online movement promoting weight loss for a change, but certainly not in any convenient ways. In essence, you could say that thinspiration was about losing weight at any cost. And that is exactly what fitspiration was intended to change, the intention was therefore to offer a new perspective on healthy living, promoting body empowerment, all simply for the sake of making the body ideal more positive. But as it turns out, the effect can be almost the opposite in many cases.
Unfortunately, especially in the case of women, it has moreover already been shown that it is not uncommon that the discrepancy in how the body looks and should look (according to the motivational challenges of fitspo) is not infrequently addressed quite unhappily. Some women slip into unhealthy eating habits, including so-called maladaptive forms of eating - that is, those that respond to their current emotional state (e.g. overeating or, conversely, refusing food when depressed, etc.).
So why does fitspo, which is really the promotion of yet another set of body ideals, continue to be so popular? It's quite simple, because it sells. And it does in every way, as it focuses on diet, exercise and body care. And under these categories can be included countless differently related products. The fact that many fitspo motivations are actually not very credible doesn't really matter then.
Dangerous dieting?
But while of course fitspo can't be completely dismissed, and some advice can be quite useful, the problem arises when it runs counter to what medicine recommends. If doctors say that it is advisable to eat two fruits a day, and fitspo influencers crow that a fruit-free diet is best, it is their recommendations that may end up replacing medical facts. According to some, fitspo is thus becoming a modern version of the "celebrity diets" that have been widely criticised, especially in recent years. Celebrities seem to lend them credibility, even though they often promote completely unhealthy eating habits.
As one of the influencers who initially shared the fitspo content herself points out, it is the various diets that are widely associated with the fitness sector. "I myself probably didn't have a completely positive influence on my followers in the past either, but I've been working on publishing more positive information about fitness, but also body image for a while now," she adds, adding that nearly 100,000 people follow her Instagram, so she feels responsible for what she posts. "There needs to be more normal people in the fitness space - with different bodies," she adds. And fitspo isn't exactly contributing much to that.
So in the end, fitspo probably helps those who tag their photos with the hashtag the most, not those who should be "fitness inspired". In most cases, the latter are just lethargically flashing their nice bodies to people who, on the other hand, want their fitness achievements to be appreciated. And in the end, that's not exactly ideal either. Because one should want to live a healthy life mainly for oneself and not for the sake of collecting hearts on social media.
