Can something that seems healthy also be toxic?

In this time and age, more and more people are promoting healthy lifestyles through various social media posts, including simple food recipes, exercises you can do at home, body transformations, and so on. Plenty of bloggers, Youtubers, Instagram influencers are sharing tips and tricks surrounding the world of fitness. It’s all good, right? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to share one’s fitness journey, and maybe motivate others to do the same…

…well, yes, until we look a little closer. Do you, consciously or unconsciously, believe that skinny equals healthy? Do you recognize that teenagers and children are becoming too aware of their bodies? Have you noticed that “weight loss” teas are circulating more than ever? Have you been forced or shamed into working out or even over-exercising?

The toxicity of fitness culture isn’t talked about often, but it may be closer to us than we think. The questions proposed earlier are only a few examples of it. Even so, before we dive deeper into that, let’s make it clear that: 1) eating healthy is important, 2) working out is encouraged, 3) wanting a toned body is perfectly fine.

So, what the fuss is about? What is “toxic fitness culture” anyway?

Basically, it revolves around habits, behaviors, and languages that promote and reinforce discriminative views (especially about fitness, healthy lifestyle, and human bodies) toward one or more groups of people; such as ableism and body shaming. To simplify it, toxicity in the world of fitness include:

• The belief that being fit has a certain look.

• Making “being ripped” as the sole purpose of working out.

• Favoring outward appearance over overall health.

• Gyms and personal trainers are not accommodating to the needs of people with disabilities.

• Fitness spaces that are not accommodating to diverse body types and sizes.

• Being shamed or bullied into dieting and working out.

• Promotion of “weight loss” and “detox” products as the fast-track of losing weight.

• Not listening to what your body truly needs.

• Mindsets and behaviors that gradually cause eating disorders.

• Over-exercising.

• Personal trainers who aren’t certified dietitians giving diet advices.

• Glorification and sexualization of certain body types.

Do you get the idea now? What seems to be promoting health and wellness can apparently bring more harm than good. A lot of people out there feel guilty for skipping one workout, others exercise to the point of exhaustion, some even choose to still hit the gym although they’re sick.

Furthermore, younger boys and girls are becoming more conscious of how they look. They’re comparing their bodies with what they see on Instagram. They begin developing insecurities, body dysmorphia, and eating disorders at such an early age. What makes it worse, several industries see this as business opportunities. They start making false claims about how their products can help you lose weight instantly. Whew!

So, how do we deal with it?

First, and maybe the hardest thing to do: love your body as it is! Every one of us has at least one thing about our bodies that we don’t like. But keep in mind that your body has done so much for you. Your beating heart keeps you alive, your legs help you move around, your stomach helps you digest your food. Treat your body as you would treat your best friend. 🙂

Second, learn to stop comparing yourself with others, especially the influencers or self-proclaimed fitness gurus you see on social media. Remember that people will always post their best sides, best angles, best pictures. They don’t show you the full reality, they might edit their photos, and sometimes, they don’t even know what they’re talking about. You may take some of their advices, but take them lightly.

Third, check your motivation. If you want to change your body in any way, that’s completely fine. However, it’s important to recognize the reasons why you want to do it. If you only focus on the outward appearance, you’ll get discouraged pretty quickly. Instead, shift your focus on the improvement of your mood, strength, stamina, and overall well-being.

Fourth, aim for progress, not perfection. News flash: perfection doesn’t exist, everyone! Pursue a healthy lifestyle at your own pace. Seek help and support if necessary. Also, don’t buy into the false promises of fast weight loss that many companies make. Those detox teas? Yeah, they don’t work.

Fifth, find what’s best for you. Not every exercise routine is suitable for you. What works for one person may not work for another. It’s okay to take your time exploring different choices until you figure out what works best for your body, and ways to ensure that you can enjoy and stay committed to it.

However, if you’re already too deep in this culture, if you have certain perception, mindset, and habits that do you more harm than good, you may want to consider seeking a professional to help with both your physical and mental health. You could try to find a good therapist and consult with a registered dietitian. In addition, if you have injured yourself in the past that you never quite got treatment for and are in constant pain, a consultation to Hope Clinic Care is highly recommended.

In Hope Clinic Care, you can get non-invasive and non-opioid treatment for your muscle strains and any other injuries. With an over 93% success rate, they offer excellent treatment procedures that are 100% drug-free! Using verified hands-on techniques and dual modality devices, Hope Clinic Care provides solutions to relieve pain by facilitating your body to maximize its healing and repairing ability. No drugs needed, yet just as effective—if not more. Before you know it, you’ll come back even stronger.

Love your body, take good care of it. Visit www.hopecliniccare.com.