No matter what age you are, you are bound to have at least one account with one of the most popular social media platforms. Nowadays we find ourselves engulfed in the world of social media, checking and uploading to it regularly, so there is no doubt that we find ourselves heavily impacted by the images and videos we see online from influencers, friends and family.
One of the major effects social media can have on us is through health and fitness, so within this article we are going to look into how social media impacts our attitudes towards exercise and healthy eating.
Positive Effects Social Media Has on Health and Fitness
There are a number of ways in which social media can have a positive effect on your mental and physical health. Just some of these are listed below:
- Great for Motivation
- Sense of Community
- Tips on Healthy Food Prep
- Diet Advice
- Follow Along Workouts
Through sharing your fitness journey on social media, you are able to discover new accounts and influencers to follow through the use of hashtags. By commenting and joining in with the fitness community online, you are able to make online friends who will help to inspire and motivate you to try new foods, exercises and mental thinking. They will also be there to help join in with celebrating our latest fitness goal, and this is what has so many people turning to social media for help with getting their health in check.
You can find great accounts where they teach you how to pick the right food and exercise combinations which will help you get to your end goal, whether that is to lose weight or build muscle. This sense of community and advice from peers makes working out solo so much easier and eliminates the added cost of a personal trainer.
Negative Effects Social Media Has on Health and Fitness
Although there are many positive benefits to seeking health and fitness motivation and inspiration though social media, there is a great deal of negative aspects too. Here are just a few reasons why you should be careful when using social media platforms:
- Can Cause Body Image Issues
- Influencers Promoting Poorly
When you are looking through health and fitness related social media accounts, you will find that it is heavily saturated with males and females with the typical ‘body goals’ look. Therefore, if you are delving into the world of social media, you may find yourself comparing yourself to these idealistic models. And with this comes a number of mental health related issues, it’s perfectly fine to idolize influencers with what is deemed to be the ‘perfect body’.
But when you feel like social media is starting to affect your body image and harming your fitness and eating choices in a negative way, it is time to take a break or find another set of accounts to follow. There are a number of fantastic inspirational accounts out there which will motivate you in a positive way rather than introducing your mental health to a toxic environment.
Along with the negative mental effects of social media on your fitness, while you are on social media you will find that many high profiled users will endorse and promote health related products. Some of these products can prove to be effective to your fitness goals, but some can be harmful. A few influencers have been known to promote the use of weight loss pills and drinks which contains laxatives and other harmful and unnecessary substances. Therefore you would need to be careful who you take advice from on social media. Accounts which are transparent and real with their audience you will find to be the most positive and beneficial to your health.
How Do You Find Social Media and Health Mix?
Within this blog post we have explored both the positive and negative effects social media can have on your mental and physical health. It is very important that when using social media for fitness and food that you seek out influencers who promote a healthy well-being and are transparent and authentic with their audiences. And once you find yourself suffering from negative effects of social media, it is crucial that you limit your usage to prevent any issues arising as we all know social media can be full on sometimes.
Let us know what you think about mixing health and fitness with social media and you can also shop our fantastic range of exercise clothing and accessories over at Sports Fitness.
This article was written exclusively for Sports Fitness by Loren Astbury
