In a time when there is so much pressure to look and even feel a certain way, we often look to social media for help. Luckily, there are plenty of people who have made it their mission to help women around the world achieve anything they put their mind to through Instagram, Twitter, and especially Facebook. This may seem ideal for those of us looking for easy access to different workouts and recipes online, however, constantly being exposed to these fitness accounts can cause us to be even more judgemental of ourselves. While there are many women who have made a life out of virtually standing alongside followers and clients on their fitness journey, there are others who seem to profit off of the insecurities of others, and that is what we need to be aware of.
Before diving into the world of fitness influencers, you need to be secure in the idea that everybody’s body is different and unique. There is no one perfect way of doing things, no universal weight loss diet and no workout program that will give everyone the same resultes. Yet, everyday, we are faced with advertisements and promotions that PROMISE “toned abs in one week!” and “lose 20 pounds in 30 days!” Every individual body requires a different approach to health and fitness and that concept is sometimes clouded by the idea of quick fixes. Of course, it is not wrong to look for tips on social media, it is just crucial that you stay focused on how to improve you instead of comparing your body to Instagram models with an apparently perfect figure.
Apps like Instagram are dangerous. We have countless filters that alter our natural look and simulate the “perfect” beauty standard, causing women to believe they need lip fillers and nose jobs to be considered beautiful in this society. What makes fitness so incredible, is that it gives you this opportunity to compete with yourself, to be better than you were yesterday, because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.
I realize that it is easier said than done, but understand that most of what you see online isn’t real. No one really looks like that. Apps, such as FaceTune, give many influencers access to editing technology that they could use to completely reshape their body and face before they post their next Instagram picture. Everyone has their own flaws behind the adjusted lighting, high tech cameras and editing, and that’s what makes being a woman so special.
We all have our own battles we fight everyday, but we also have characteristics that we can love about ourselves because they make us unique from anyone else in the world. Just because you see women everyday that are absolutely gorgeous, does not mean that you are any less.
It is important for us to be nice to ourselves and take every chance to lift other women up. There are already so many obstacles that we all face everyday, we should be able to lean on other women around us when we yield to our insecurities. Don’t compare yourself to images or projected lifestyles you see online, because there only is one you, beautiful and unique.