How To Understand Fitness On Social Media
Social media for fitness and nutrition is a dumpster fire. But I want to help you fix it.
If you follow any number of fitness accounts, you can scroll through your Instagram and I can bet exactly what you’ll see.
People telling you certain foods are toxic and killing you or making you fat
Telling you to do something ridiculous (detox, supplements, or specific workouts) that will help you lose your belly fat
A ton of people stitching in videos so they can shit on other people's content
And extremely jacked and lean people shirtless giving you unrealistic lifestyle advice and/or doing all of the above
If I wasn’t as educated and was just someone looking for fitness and nutrition education, I would be so damn confused.
I’m gonna tell you how we got here and then give you really practical ideas for you to make social media more useful for you.
2 Major Reasons For The Social Media Fitness Mess
1) Algorithm
2) Superhero Fit Body Bias
The Algorithm Problem
Let me first start by saying, I don’t blame the algorithm like it’s something evil. I don’t blame AI or social media at all for where we are.
This is a people problem.
Remember when social media didn’t exist and we just talked about the news?
What did we complain about?
“The news is always so negative.”
We are attracted to entertainment. Not simplicity.
How often does the extreme attract you on social media?
Imagine you are scrolling through fitness information, and you stop to fully listen to someone, who seemed in moderately good shape and was speaking fairly simply about a basic calorie deficit and eating a sustainable balanced diet.
Even reading that sentence bored you.
Think back to the last time you stopped on a post like that, gave it a like, and then shared it.
Probably a long time ago, OR you just literally haven’t.
What posts get the likes and shares?
“Don’t eat sugar! It’s poison!”
“Don’t eat seed oils! They are toxic!”
“This food ingredient is killing you!”
Those posts are then followed by a like, comment, and share.
Guess what the algorithm recognizes?
Nothing better than comments and especially shares.
Why share the same old boring story?
You’re so sick of hearing the word “calorie deficit” so if someone gives you a new reason why nutrition isn’t going your way, you’re excited for a new answer.
And maybe it’s not just the extreme nature of what they say….but it’s the fact that they say it, jacked and shirtless or sports bra, looking like superheroes.
So now whatever this superhero says HAS to be true. I mean, look at how fit they are?!
This is an exposure bias you’re unaware of.
The Superhero Fit Body Bias
Think back about 20 years ago, just before Instagram and social media took off.
Did you think being in that kind of shape was normal? Hell no. Only movie stars.
But now, we (and I say we because I feel it too) have this feeling that there are sooooooo many superhero-fit people out there, so we think we should be in great shape too!
Looking at body fat distributions, to be under 10% of body fat for males or 19% for females, is 1% of the population. (Note this would be a skin fold measurement which is lower than a DXA scan)
And those superhero bodies you see are even leaner than that. Closer to 5-7% for males, and 14-16% for females.
So less extrapolate that to the population of the USA.
About 333 million and then you have let's say 0.5% of the population that lean and fit.
Around 1.6 Million could be superhero fit.
Sounds like a lot of people but isn’t.
331.4 Million that aren’t that lean, and a good majority aren’t even close.
The problem is that social media puts that 1.6 M in front of us every day.
If you didn’t have this device in your hand, you would see in your life, 99.5% if not more of people are just so far from that.
The reason I point this out is you feel more compelled to believe those physiques are attainable and sustainable.
I don’t deny almost anyone is physically capable of getting near that superhero fit.
But in no way is that sustainable or a realistic lifestyle for 99.99% of the population.
I even say that extra percentage simply because, even those who are that fit on social media are doing it ONLY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA.
If they were not paid to live that lifestyle, and they had your job, a vast majority of them would not stay that lean.
And not to mention a good portion of those that are that superhero fit (not all), could likely be using some sort of performance enhancement drugs as well.
I need to point this out because there are voices going unheard in the social media space and there will be FAR more practical ideas for you to learn from.
So can you still use social media?
Absolutely. This is how.
4 Main Strategies to Make Social Media Helpful Again
1) Change the people you listen to
If you stay on these extreme accounts, you’re pulling yourself into the complication.
You could go hard-core keto, or believe everything is toxic, but you really won’t be a fun person at parties. And you’re making fat loss waaaay more difficult.
Listen to the people in the shape you want to live in.
I specifically say ‘live in’ because you need to LIVE the lifestyle to sustain the results.
As mentioned, you can get in superhero shape, but would you want to live there?
Say goodbye to pizza parties and enjoying the holiday foods.
You want to learn the long-term habits you can sustain, and find the people speaking about the lifestyle you could see yourself enjoying living.
Dare to look for the boring and simple accounts.
When you see their posts, maybe give them some love, like it, and share it with someone you know who needs some simple advice.
2) Be careful of the extreme
If there are extreme accounts you’re following, you need to be cautious with who you listen to, and how seriously you take them.
We are in the age of ‘everyday experts’, where anyone can give their opinion without any proof of their statements.
If it sounds off, maybe like the opposite of what most people say in fitness or nutrition, and they do not cite any sort of research to back it up…be skeptical.
3) Follow more research-based accounts
There are a few accounts I can recommend for you, as they do a great job of debunking the ridiculous information out there on Instagram.
- @Biolayne – Layne Norton
- @Dr_Idz – Dr. Idrees Mughal
- @Menno.Hennelmans – Menno Hennelmans
- @Staneffording – Stan Effording
- @The_Plant_Slant – Liam Fisher-Layton
- @Andydoeshealthy – Andy Miller
These are just to name a few, but all of these accounts do a terrific job of dispelling claims that make you more anxious about your choices
Weight loss is tough enough as it is. So if you’re listening to extreme ideas will only likely add to the confusion.
Try some of these accounts and it may help you feel more at ease with your approach.
4) Be more open to your expectations of fitness
I’m not saying I agree with the HAES (Healthy At Every Size) idea, but I am saying you can shift your perspective for yourself away from superhero fit.
For a male being around 10-20% body fat or for a female 20-30% (on skinfolds) Is healthy! Especially if you’re active.
From there you’re just aiming to find a physique you feel good about.
Do you know what your best comparison is? You vs. You.
When you feel your best; being active, eating healthy, and enjoying life.
Whatever body fat percentage that is, can be totally relative to you.
Most Important Truth Every Fit Person Knows
There is no secret to being fit. Just hard work for a long time.
And there isn’t much on social media of that part.
That part you must find within you.
But when you do it the right way, you get to find the best version of yourself.
Isn’t that worth it?
Keep up that hard work my friend.
RQ