Fitnessgram, FitTok, FitBook: Using Social Media As a Fitness Queen or King

Does social media feed your soul or feed from your energy? I've always had a very hot and cold relationship with social media. It can be an incredible tool to learn, connect with others or get inspired. But it can also be a black hole of content, comparison and a disconnection from reality. And this could not be more true than fitness social media. If you're at all interested in fitness the algos feed you tasty fitness content which can be amazing, but can also be damaging - depending on where you are in your journey or what you need to see right now. So how do you use social media to benefit your mind and body?

Curating your feed

Be ruthless with this. If there's anyone (and I mean family and friends too) who drains your energy, brings you down or brings you to compare yourself, mute or unfollow. This isn't personal, it's creating healthy boundaries. As a chronic comparer, this is something I've been pretty hot on - I only follow or see content from people or brands which make me smile. Silly goose, authenticity and no body checking are my go to boundaries. You’ve got to make your own for yourself. Think about what your values are and if there’s any regular content you see which makes you feel negatively (in any type of way). 

It's so easy to see snapshots (more on that later) and switch up into comparison mode or even absorb negative energy from posts. Curation of your feed isn't turning your back on people or creators you love, simply editing the amount of exposure you get to them.

Remind yourself what you are looking at

Now you've curated your feed, it's important to remind yourself what you're looking at - a true snapshot of someone's life. And whilst more authentic content and creators exist, you're still only seeing a window into something that someone is allowing you to see.

This is even more true when it comes to fitness content. Lighting, environment, make-up, a tan and editing can really change the aesthetic put across in images and videos. What's more, for many 'fitfluencers' it's their full-time job to create content which looks great. They have the time, money and equipment to dedicate to the creation of content which looks flawless. Comparison or putting yourself down in this context is like comparing your latest karaoke ballad to Cynthia Erivo's battle cry (IFYKYK). So keep that context front and centre when you're scrolling.

Outside of body image, fitness trends come and go on social media. Whether it's Pilates or running (the current front runners), strength training or Hyrox - we're always bombarded with the next best fitness fad and how far behind we already are. Whilst seeing others succeed at running, smashing Hyrox or sweating it out at Pilates it becomes a seed of doubt or judgement which sprouts during your workout. So take stock of how you're looking at lots of different types of people, with different lifestyles and training levels. Don't let it dull the shine of your achievements - your pace average, Hyrox finish time or even turning up to a class. Your achievements in the real world are so much more important than shareable and comparable stats.

Be honest with yourself

This next one is probably the toughest. Being honest with yourself about a) how much time you spend on social media and b) what effect it really has on you. Social media usage has been so intrinsically tied to feelings of boredom - a surefire antidote whenever you might be feeling a bit lost. On average, we use social media for 1hr 49mins a day - and that's a lot of time and attention we're spending in the web of an algorithm which is feeding us more of what we're engaging with. If this is becoming a real issue, try limiting social media between certain times, only giving yourself short social media scroll breaks or taking digital detox days.

To take it a step further, think about how what you're watching affects you. For me, what I eat in a day content became an obsession to consume. And as a result, I was fed more and more of this content. It genuinely became addictive for me - starting to affect how I thought about nutrition (even though I consider myself fully recovered) and intensified food rules too. Whilst we think content can be meaningless, it can imprint messages which play out in real life. So consider if there are types of content which really don't sit well or have become the majority of your feed - if they're negatively impacting you, it's time to step away and start to restrict engagement with that type of content.

Become a creator

So much of social media is passive. Watching, observing and looking at others. Start to be more active if you feel you can - sharing your life, being silly and having a good time. Creating or sharing content brings back the social to social media - bringing you a curated feed of people you love (that are friends, family or creators) and sharing your world with them too. Whether that's the realness of your fitness journey, what you've been excited about in terms of progress or simply what makes you happy.

There we have it - a little rant about social media. I hope you found it just a bit helpful! Stay tuned for more blogs coming your way soon. And if you're looking for any help or have any questions feel free to get in touch personal.training.jade@gmail.com or @joybyjadept