Instagram helpful or harmful?

MurphmomSparkles

Do you find it helps you to look at fitness related content on Instagram or do you find it has a negative impact or causes feelings of inadequacy.

MurphmomSparkles

The second option is supposed to say feel negatively about myself, but it won't let me edit it.

ninerbuff

My opinion:
PRO:
Instagram has helped to get more young people into the gym and work on their fitness because they want to post about it.

CON: Instagram also ends up being a pain in the *kitten* because so many people are filming themselves working out that they are taking up more time on equipment.

My other issue with instagram is that it just seems people NEED to have validation these days for what they do. How they percieve their social status sets their mood and attitude. Times are a lot different now.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Retroguy2000

You have to remember that the vast majority of successful influencers are either not natural, or weren't natural before. If they offer good advice and entertainment, great, but don't expect to look like them if you're natural.

The ones hoping to be influencers are even worse. They may be promoting dumb exercises just trying to be different, or wasting peoples time in the gym with cameras recording sets almost nobody will ever watch, or looking for gotchas.

AnnPT77

I'm not voting, because I don't think there's a general answer. Like any social-network type environment, quality varies from one Insta source to the next.

I admit I don't routinely follow fitness sources on Insta myself.

To the extent I've sampled, they tend more often to be "pop fitness" oriented, not really focused on serious, nuanced athletic training. That's not inherently a bad thing, any more than pop music is bad music, popular books are bad books, or whatever.

Popular doesn't equal bad. It's just about each of us wanting a match between our individual tastes and goals, and the things we choose to tune into.

"Pop fitness" can do a reasonable job of getting people to generalized fitness, in fun and engaging ways. I do care about generalized fitness, but through the lens of my favorite sport (on-water rowing). That means I seek out expert sources about rowing, cross-training or auxiliary work that complements rowing, etc. It's a little different focus. Insta wouldn't be a main way I'd look for those things. Also, I'm not a personal trainer nor have a kinesiology degree or anything like that, but I do have some credentials related to rowing, and some connections with experienced coaches, so I can maybe rely more on myself than average to sort things out, rather than relying entirely on internet influencers (even rowing ones).

I do have concerns about the ways some influencers represent or market themselves. Some exploit consumers' frustration and (I have to say it) ignorance to sell questionable programs, supplements, diets, etc. It's abundantly clear that some influencers' "30 days to a flat belly" (or "toned arms" or whatever) aren't the programs they themselves used to develop their current appearance. It's abundantly clear that some make claims about hypothyroidism, menopause, aging, some aspects of nutrition, etc., that aren't well supported by scientific research. It's abundantly clear that some use tricks to get photos that present a certain look in ways that aren't completely honest. **

For sure, we do see women - usually young ones - come here with totally unrealistic views of female anatomy, feeling like failures when they don't measure up to the manufactured images that a few cynical, manipulative influencers promote. That is toxic.

** This is fun (in a spoiler for post length, but the actual video is less than 4 minutes long, and well worth the watching):

https://youtu.be/M957dACQyfU

MurphmomSparkles

Wonderful insights, thank you!

@AnnPT77 that video was great.

I feel like you can sort of tell when someone is trying to attract attention based on their physical appearance instead of their knowledge/information if you look for the signs.

Too bad there is so much snake oil and quackery in the fitness industry and the amateurs who are giving poor advice.

I do really appreciate the quality free content professionals are taking the trouble to put up.

ninerbuff

Retroguy2000 wrote: »

You have to remember that the vast majority of successful influencers are either not natural, or weren't natural before. If they offer good advice and entertainment, great, but don't expect to look like them if you're natural.

The ones hoping to be influencers are even worse. They may be promoting dumb exercises just trying to be different, or wasting peoples time in the gym with cameras recording sets almost nobody will ever watch, or looking for gotchas.

Martial arts one's are the most entertainment. Especially all the knife defenses I've seen lately.



A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

springlering62

The video is a hoot and, what @AnnPT77 says.

Outside of the MFP boards, I don’t even do social media any more. In all honesty, I got tired of all the happy *kitten* posts after a pretty bad period.

Just like nobody’s life is that perfect, neither is anyone’s body. No one-obvs- wants to share the bad stuff, and I just felt like social media was all rose tinted artificiality. “Me” as I’d like “me” to be.

Both my adult kids dropped all social media several years ago, and I’m finding more and more friends and acquaintances are as well.

That’s why when I post here on the boards, I try to post the worries and share the failures along with the NSVs and other wins. It’s not all perfect. What would be the beauty in that? If we were all perfect, would we even appreciate perfection?

Dr Seuess’ The Sneetches is the epic description of people trying.

MurphmomSparkles

Wonderful insights @springlering62
Thanks for commenting. I completely agree.

ninerbuff

Retroguy2000 wrote: »

You have to remember that the vast majority of successful influencers are either not natural, or weren't natural before. If they offer good advice and entertainment, great, but don't expect to look like them if you're natural.

The ones hoping to be influencers are even worse. They may be promoting dumb exercises just trying to be different, or wasting peoples time in the gym with cameras recording sets almost nobody will ever watch, or looking for gotchas.

There's one on Tik Tok now where a kid is doing "Tabata". I of course knowing full well what Tabata protocol is comment that it's NOT Tabata. Of course I got some backlash, saying I was trolling him. And my easiest response is telling them to actually look up what Tabata protocol is and applied too. I did mention what he did was challenging, but that they were INTERVALS not Tababta. Misinformation should be pointed out.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 35+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kshama2001

C. I don't use Instagram