Exercise and fitness have been a staple in trends and magazines for decades. Fad diets and photoshopped models are not new things plaguing our media; however, the unhealthy culture and immense pressure surrounding fitness—specifically relating to gyms and weight lifting—has grown exponentially. Social media has allowed for the spread of unnecessary fitness expectations across young audiences at a more intense level, with unhealthy trends, such as steroid use, obsessive calorie tracking and eating cycles, such as the “bulk and cut,” becoming more prevalent on the internet.

This brighter spotlight on fitness certainly has its benefits, with more junior high and high school students visiting the gym than ever before. As many teens go in groups of friends, the gym offers a place for social connection, as well as the obvious mental and physical benefits of exercise. Popularizing the gym as a “cool spot” allows younger generations a distraction from screens and pushes them to exercise consistently. I personally love going to the gym after school to unwind and release the stiffness from sitting at a desk all day; going through my routine allows me to forget the stress of my assignments and the distractions of everyday life. 

However, this rise in gym culture comes with more restrictive trends that seem to outweigh the positives of fitness. Many influencers encourage an almost obsessive tracking of macronutrients and carbs, claiming that extremely high levels of protein and limited sugar is necessary to maintaining a healthy body. These influencers also often promote supplements such as creatine, pre-workout and even steroids, which simply aren’t necessary for teenagers who are still developing. The effects of these training supplements are still not known to their full extent and may be dangerous to growing kids with possibilities such as liver damage and increased blood pressure. Furthermore, this strong emphasis on eating only the healthiest food with the most protein causes stress and shame for those who cannot afford buying these items or simply don’t have the time to make and plan such balanced meals. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly normalized on the internet, with influencers making comedic videos about overstressing when going over their daily calorie limit or feeling gross about their bloating after a big meal. Although these videos attempt to be funny and relatable, they are instead projecting a negative outlook on nutrition.

Social media has also created incredibly unrealistic physical standards, with influencers often posing and using photoshop to give the appearance of huge muscles and small waists. The constant flow of these pictures and videos have caused the bodybuilder figure to become the expectation, with many influencers indirectly shaming more natural builds. In reality, achieving such extreme muscles and sculpting your physique takes years of training and intense dieting, along with the influence of genetics. Regardless of what those online may claim, six-packs and grapefruit-sized biceps do not take a few weeks to build in a healthy and natural way. 

Gym culture should not be restricted to heavyweight lifters and diet-enthusiasts; it should be a place where people of all workout plans and fitness goals are welcome. Gym culture doesn’t have to be filled with toxic expectations of working towards a physique idolized by social media but instead can simply be a way to get out of the house and spend some time away from the stresses of school and work.