It’s easy to see why Instagram has been rated as one of the worst social media platforms for affecting mental health.
Scrolling through the news feeds of influencers and glamourous celebrities builds up a distorted picture of what the world really looks like.
And it’s all too easy to forget that many of these people use filters, special lighting and editing software to create the perfect image.
This week, as part of our Mental Health Toolkit, we’re talking to Aberdeen-based personal trainer Tracy Stainer who has given advice on the best way to achieve your fitness goals.
And she says to start this off it’s best to step away from Instagram and reach out to real people working in the fitness industry.
‘Instagram can fuel unhealthy aspirations’
The online world is flooded with advice and guidance about health and fitness and it can be a great source for people looking to change their lifestyle for the better.
However, along with the positives, there are the negatives – and many of those come in the form of people creating unrealistic challenges for themselves to look a certain way based on images they have seen online.
We have all been there, scrolling social media platforms, looking enviable at other people’s lifestyles, homes, clothes, bodies, and it can fuel unhealthy aspirations, particularly from a fitness perspective.
‘Many influencers target people’s insecurities’
Even fitness professionals, like me, are taken in by it sometimes but we must remind ourselves that all we are seeing online is a snippet of someone’s life and not the whole picture.
Plus, many influencers are pushing sponsored products and making money whilst sometimes unintentionally targeting insecurities.
And when you are admiring how good someone looks online and putting yourself down, remember that lighting, filters, camera angles, and editing software all make a difference to an online image!
Step one: Log out of Instagram
Social media is a minefield, and it has created an arena for fitness influencers to target a wider audience, but some of these content creators may not even have a fitness qualification.
If you really want to set achievable fitness goals, then it is best to step away from Instagram and talk to real people working in the fitness industry.
Go to your local gym and you will see instructors of all shapes and sizes teaching you and these are the experts you need to be tapping into.
‘A personal instructor understands what is really achievable for you’
You may not have the body shape to achieve what you’re aspiring to on social platforms and because of that we don’t all see the same results from the same workouts.
A personal trainer who knows you on a one-to-one basis and understands your goals will work with you and advise you what is or is not achievable and you also need to be honest with yourself about your fitness targets.
Aesthetics should be lower down the list of priorities and the focus should be on exercising and eating well for a manageable, healthy lifestyle and mindset.
Be realistic with your goals
Think about life balance and don’t put yourself under any pressure to be a certain size or a certain level.
Setting goals is great but be realistic.
If you watched the Olympics and admired the athletes, remember that they are the world’s best, they have worked for years on their performance, and they have to dedicate 100% of their lifestyle to achieve optimum fitness in their sport.
That’s 100% of your lifestyle, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Therefore, going out for drinks or dinner, for coffee and cake, or going on holiday, these types of lifestyle choices can all tip that balance.
If you want to aim for a big goal and it is within reach for you, go for it, but you must begin your journey with the understanding that you won’t be able to sustain that lifestyle forever.
Even non-athletes who look pretty good would need to be dedicating 70-80% of their lifestyle to their food and exercise choices and, although they might look better it may not relate to good mental health.
‘Every little change is progress’
Also, a lower body fat and higher muscle percentage does not equal healthy.
I train lots of different people of all ages and different shapes and sizes and weight loss does not make you more fabulous.
Achieving small fitness goals, seeing your level of fitness increase, managing a minute longer on the running machine, beating your last time, lifting that heavier weight, every little change is progress and that empowers you to be a fitter, healthier, happier version of yourself.
Not a version of someone else on social media with the right lighting and the right pose.
Recently, there has been a shift towards more positive body images than negative but remember, all of those celebrities that you are envious of have personal PT’s and full-time chefs, and as lovely as that would be it is certainly far from reality for most of us!
Get advice from a professional
If you are reading this instead of scrolling social media, then you have already made a good choice and a step in the right direction.
You’ve heard it before, I’m sure, but if there are people you are following on social media who you are comparing yourself to and it is having a detrimental impact on your mental health and approach to health and fitness whilst making you feel inferior, unfollow them.
Unfollow them, find your local gym, or come along to ASV, book a session with a real person and get advice from a professional on how you can become an even better version of YOU.
