Fitspiration (And Why It’s Bad For Your Health)

Fitspiration is fighting fit, it seems. Cruise through “fitspo” hashtags on Instagram, and you’ll see there’s no shortage of images of green smoothies and sculpted abs.

But there are worrying signs that fitspiration may not be the positive motivation that it’s cracked up to be. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Research suggests that fitspiration contributes to negative body image, and both men and women are susceptible.

Instead of motivating body positivity, fitspiration sites are often guilty of encouraging body negativity. And with the number of eating disorders in Australia – particularly among young people – this is nothing to dismiss lightly.

So is it better to avoid fitspiration altogether? Not necessarily. There are, however, categories of fitspiration that can cause serious problems.

Here’s where fitspiration gets problematic.

When it encourages you to ignore your limits

“No pain, no gain” has truth to it. It pays to go out of your comfort zone if you want to see results.

But just as often, I see messaging that suggests it’s normal – and even necessary – to take this “pain” to an irrational level. The subtext is that your body is an enemy to be browbeaten into submission, and excuses are just laziness. If you’re tired, sick or simply needing a day off, you are weak.

In a nutshell: “You want results? Punish yourself until you get there.”

Disturbingly, this is exactly what an eating disorder sounds like – an inner critic that never sleeps. Also, who on earth thinks that crying, blood and puke are acceptable after a workout?

When it aims to provoke feelings of shame

“Don’t stop until you’re proud.”

“Suck it up now and you won’t have to suck it in later.”

“Would you rather be covered in sweat at the gym, or covered in clothes at the beach?”

Messages like this are meant to say “go, you! You can do it!”. But the actual undercurrent is that you can’t be proud if you’re not up to THIS standard (ie, with impossible muscles and zero grams of fat).

What’s being communicated is that losing weight and looking a certain way is a virtue. Much like images in magazines, these images make you feel bad about yourself – and then tell you that you’ll “feel better” if you just try to look like this.

Prolonged exposure to this type of message encourages body hatred, which is a risk factor for eating disorders and other unhealthy behaviour.

When it focuses on an ideal physique

Next to thinspiration and pro-anorexia sites, fitspiration looked like a healthy alternative, empowering people to pursue their fitness goals and feel good while looking great. “Strong is the new skinny” is surely putting the emphasis on health, not weight, right?

Unfortunately, the reality is often different. Fitspiration, in theory, is about getting healthy. In reality, it too often falls into photos glorifying a perfect six pack, exercises to “get the perfect bum” or “crunch those abs”, and shots of dewy-eyed models or body builders in fluoro Nike gym-wear.

The truth is that most fitspiration just substitutes one ideal (thin) with another (toned and muscly). Ironically, these toned and muscly people are just as thin as the “thinspiration” examples they were meant to replace. Health is not about image, and actually means different things for different people. So how can a fitness regimen revolve around attaining one idealised standard?

Closing thoughts

Glossy magazines have long been known to promote poor body image of young men and women. But fitspiration often falls into the exact same traps, focusing on image and body type instead of health and diversity.

Is the fitspiration you’re viewing problematic? You can ask yourself the following questions:

How do these images make me feel?

If reading through your feed makes you want to go on a run, then great. But if it makes you look at your stomach and legs and bum and feel terrible, then don’t go there. You shouldn’t exercise to punish yourself or make yourself look a certain way. You exercise and eat healthy because you love yourself enough to do it.

Do the images I’m seeing focus on a specific body type?

Red flags go up for me when an account has mostly gym selfies. I also tend to steer away from photos that zero in on particular body parts, saying “this is the perfect [insert body part here]”.

Health isn’t about how chiselled your abs are or how little you weigh. So seeing photos of bodies is beside the point.

Have I fact-checked this?

Don’t take advice online at face value, even if the person has doctor as a title! Ensure you’ve asked an expert before you start a diet or change up your exercise routine. Get in touch with a medical professional or a gym instructor as needed.

You should feel empowered by fitspiration. It should remind you that your body is good and worthwhile, and that it should be healthy and nourished. But if it’s telling you that you need to improve an aspect of your body to make yourself acceptable, or that your body is there to be looked at, then there’s something wrong.

Never mind the celebrities on Instagram. Take what you’ve got and rock it for all it’s worth.

An earlier version of this article appeared on Run and Lift here.