January is always the most bizarre time of year. The excitement of a new year quickly passes as we all begin to focus on our resolutions: ways to better ourselves, get fitter, be happier. I think sometimes the new year is massively revolved around fitness and health, with gym memberships doubling in size compared to any other time in the year.
It’s a good thing to want to get fitter and improve ourselves, both physically and mentally, but during this time of year, I find it so difficult to ignore the reinforcements of how necessary this change is for everyone during this time of year.
At the beginning of January, it became very clear to me how influential social media, Instagram particularly, can be towards this pressure to get fit. Every third post on my feed would be a new gym routine from your favourite YouTuber or Social Media Influencer, many showing off how much weight they’ve “lost” using these “amazing” routines and dietary plans, which more often than not, cost a ridiculous amount of money and consist of a few recipes and workout videos.
Without sounding too much like a pessimist, I, of course, can appreciate how motivating these posts and schemes are for some people. They reinforce how positive exercise can be for the mind and body and may help people who struggle with food discipline (I certainly do!) stick to a nutritional and healthy diet. They also provide structured workout routines, and often, can be so helpful if you’re not a regular gym user. Admittedly, they can be positive, but I just think, during this time of year, the inundation of fitness/ gym apps is something that should be monitored a little more.
It’s an underlying pressure to look a certain way and live a particular lifestyle, and it’s so easy to compare yourselves to these proclaimed fitness gurus on Instagram, but more importantly, we should remind ourselves about the reality of social media, and the extent to which people will go for the “perfect” Instagram photo.
Fitness and beauty influencers alike, both male and female, know exactly what they’re doing: angles, filters, Photoshop, FaceTune – just some of the ways in which these ideal beauty standards are being projected rather unrealistically.
So, when you see your favourite fitness vlogger or beauty influencer announces that they are releasing a workout scheme or diet plan, remind yourself that what works for them may not work for you. That more often than not, these schemes can create profit on such a mass level, and despite what these people may look like on social media, it isn’t always the reality, so to then scrutinise yourself for not meeting these particular body types, is ultimately asking yourself for something that may not even exist.
It is important to exercise, and better yourself in all ways, whether that is mentally or physically, but it’s also important to do it for yourself, doing it because it’ll make you feel good about yourself. Not what you think others consider desirable or attractive, but because it makes you comfortable and happy. That’s all that really matters in the end, isn’t it?