By Gaia Luani; Mentorship Paulo Lima
In the age of social media, fitness is turning into an image: training becomes mere content, and the body becomes a brand. Between influencers, viral trends and performative routines, wellbeing gives way to representation. What does it mean to be fit today?
Gyms that look like film sets, matching outfits like haute couture capsules; workouts turned into clips, and visibility contents on apps such as Strava: in the digital age, being fit risks becoming more and more synonymous with looking fit. Social media put us in front of a deforming mirror, which rewards the instant image and its viral format; this way, the feed becomes a CV, and the body becomes a product to be put on display.
This is not only an aesthetic phenomenon, rather a redefinition of the value of physical activity, which goes from being a health practice to a status symbol. Young people, used to consuming content in pills, find themselves immersed in a market of the image, where the promise of transformation is immediate, and measurable in likes. Fitness aesthetics impose new standards, often easier to post than to sustain in real life.
Influencer before personal trainer
The age of fitness influencers transformed exercise into format and expertise into a marketable aesthetic. Today, we observe creators building an identity as experts through edits, filters and storytelling, blurring the line between serious divulgation and entertainment.
Fitness influencer during the recording of a workout for social media, in a gym that looks like a film set
Behind every reel lies a carefully constructed plan: sponsorships, subscriptions and “personalised” programs that often originate from standardized templates. Algorithms favor “instagrammable” exercises and spectacular transformations at the expense of safe progressions and varied training plans.
The gym becomes a set with lights and spotlights, the body becomes a brand, and the treadmill a catwalk to show off matching workout sets: everything is designed to maximize engagement.
Today, physical transformation can be bought with a click, and is measured in likes, redefining the very concept of “expertise”.
Diets, poses, challenges: fitness as a trend
TikTok and Instagram suggest that the ideal routine should involve consistently “clean” eating, constant motivation and total control over the body. A model that ignores work, study, family commitments and psychological wellbeing: in short, real life. Many creators show days entirely spent at the gym, and meals weighed down to the last gram, feeding a narrative of often fictional perfection. Among younger audiences, these trends generate a strong emulation effect, leading to feelings of of inadequacy. Some of the most viral formats today include:
- What I eat in a day: hyper-calibrated meals that can foster a toxic relationship with food, and contribute to eating disorders, often hiding the use of supplements or anabolic substances;
- Get Ready With Me: the preparation for a workout becomes an aesthetic ritual made of outfits and expensive accessories, suggesting that fitness is a status symbol rather than a physical activity;
- Fit check: an excuse to showcase a sculpted body, turning an exceptional aesthetic model into a mandatory norm.
Possible image and content for the viral trend “What I eat in a day”
The objectification of the body
The analysis of philosopher Aurélien Daudi (The Culture of Narcissism, 2022) offers an illuminating perspective: the aesthetic of contemporary fitness is rooted in a process of self-objectification caused by the impact of social media. Daudi connects this dynamic to the theory of philosopher Jean Baudrillard, according to whom the body becomes the “most beautiful piece of consumption”, a symbolic object whose value is acquired through the signs associated with it. This leads to a deep objectification of the self: the body is treated as a cultural commodity, and fitness becomes a means of visibility, rather than a pursuit of wellbeing and health.
We discussed these issues with doctor Laura Endrighi, a psychologist expert in eating behaviour and emotional hunger.
How can viral aesthetic trends influence body image, especially among young people?
These contents aren’t neutral: they build an implicit norm on how one should eat, look and live one’s body. The problem is that this norm is often unrealistic, yet it is perceived as attainable. In the case of “What I eat in a day” videos, dichotomous thinking (right/wrong) is amplified, and an excessive focus on meal preparation and portion control is normalised. In clinical settings, this level of control is associated with rigidity, whereas online it is portrayed as normal behaviour. A dangerous correlation emerges: a person’s worth becomes tied to their ability to adhere perfectly to a specific dietary model.
With “fit checks” instead, the implicit message is that the body should constantly look “put together” and visually consistent. This leads to continuous self-monitoring. In the clinic and human reality though, it’s normal for one’s body to look different from one day to another, and to experience periods of body neutrality. The result is an increased frustration, that may lead to extreme behaviours in an attempt to conform to these models.
Which signs indicate that exercise or eating habits are becoming obsessive?
We look not only at what a person does, but at the relationship they develop with these behaviours.
On a cognitive level, persistent thoughts about food and exercise start to be present, accompanied by rigid rules; self-worth ends up depending almost exclusively on adherence to these rules.
On an emotional level appear feelings of guilt after eating, anxiety when missing a workout, and an intense fear of “losing progress”.
On a behavioural level, individuals may continue training despite fatigue or injury, a frequent check of the body in the mirror, and begin limiting their social lives by avoiding meals or social occasions they perceive as incompatible with their rules.
The most important overarching sign is the loss of flexibility: the behavior is no longer a choice but an obligation. This marks the point at which the pursuit of “well-being” starts to undermine freedom, taking up an excessive amount of mental space and reducing overall quality of life.
How can young people recognize unrealistic ideals and build a healthy relationship with sport?
Recognizing these ideals is not easy because they have become socially normalized. In recent years, the widespread popularity of cosmetic surgery has further reinforced the perception of certain beauty standards as fixed and permanent. In reality, aesthetic ideals constantly evolve. The danger lies in treating the body like a fashion trend, forgetting that it is something we live in and experience every day.
One of the first indicators is sustainability. If maintaining a certain appearance requires an excessive amount of time, mental energy, or sacrificing meaningful aspects of one’s life, it is unlikely to be sustainable.
Another key indicator is rigidity. Whenever there is the belief that there is only one “right” way to eat or look, we are operating within a mindset that is unlikely to promote genuine well-being.
Building a healthy relationship with sport means shifting the focus from appearance to experience. Above all, it requires developing critical thinking: exposing oneself to diverse content, seeking alternative perspectives, and learning not to view everything seen online as a model to imitate, but rather as content to interpret critically.
Ultimately, the greatest risk is becoming so focused on shaping an image that we neglect the person behind it and their overall physical and psychological well-being. It is therefore essential to rediscover the joy of movement, sport, and fitness as expressions of freedom rather than as ways to conform to fleeting viral trends—to feel good about ourselves, our bodies, and our minds, rather than to earn likes on Instagram or TikTok.
Related reading
We’ve also explored the influence of social media on everyday life in the following articles: Fast Fashion and Consumerism: A Call for Responsibility That Can No Longer Be Ignored, “Sephora Kids”: When Cosmetics Become an Obsession Among Children, Self-Love in the Age of TikTok: Empowerment or Unrealistic Expectations?