Female Fitness and Social Media: What’s Right for You?

As a woman, I know that we frequently struggle with finding the right personal fitness plan. Not only are we constantly displeased with our body image, but most of the time we do not want to ask for help for fear of being criticized.  That criticism is especially difficult to take when given by another woman. Let’s face it – as women, we are our own worst critics. However, women should no longer feel this way.

 

Today, women have so many options for seeking help for fitness inspiration (also called “fitspo” or "fitsporation" – the words fitness and inspiration combined), workouts, personal trainers, and even nutrition advice. Women are more likely than men to take advantage of inspirational social media sites and smart phone apps such as Instagram and Pinterest because they target women in most of their posts. Posting “fitspo” before and after weight loss (or muscle gain) pictures via Instagram has created a new phenomena of ‘online famous’ as women share their fitness tips.  These ‘fitspo” women gain social media followers who are inspired to workout after seeing images of real results.  Pinterest has a Health & Fitness section that provides ideas for quick workouts and recipes. I am guilty of spending countless minutes of my day on these social media sites.

 

For women who struggle with face-to-face assessments of their bodies, there are many online personal trainers who have the knowledge and skills to provide solid advance (for a fee) to their virtual clients! These personal trainers can empower these virtual clients by providing instruction via Skype, FaceTime and podcasts.  Most of the time, online personal trainers are cheaper than gym membership, you are able to set your own schedule, can visually show you how to do an exercise even though they are not in person, and helps improve on communication skills and accountability via the internet. There are so many pro’s when it comes to online training and motivation.

The old excuse “I will join a gym after I lose some weight” is no longer valid thanks to the internet and social media.  Women no longer have to be ashamed or intimidated; the internet is filled with reputable fitness information that allows each person to develop a good workout, meal plan, and motivation to  succeed.. However, as always, you cannot believe everything on the internet so make sure you choose wisely and are a well-informed fitness client!



Picture taken from Instagram

Picture taken from Pinterest