Are People Using Social Media for Fitness Advice?
People have always sought out fitness advice and inspiration, but it is easier than ever in today’s digital age. These days, social media is a goldmine for health and fitness advice and this can make it much easier for people to achieve their goals whether they are looking to lose weight, bulk up or improve their cardiovascular fitness. From beginners through to marathon runners, social media can be a useful tool and is changing the fitness industry for good.
How Many People Use Social Media for Workout Advice?
A recent study from a lingerie specialist Hunkemöller of 2,000 adults in the UK found that 28% of people have tried at least one fitness trend after seeing it on social media. It seems that TikTok is the most popular platform for discovering these trends with many fitness trends going viral each year and reaching a huge audience in the UK with over 8.9 million active users.
Of course, not all content creators are fitness experts and this is reflected in the satisfaction levels. 60% of people that have tried a social media workout trend have had a positive result, but there are also 18% that have had a negative experience. This shows why it is so important to research where you are getting your information from and only use trusted sources. Unsurprisingly, it is the younger age group (18-24) that turn to social media for fitness advice with 53% trying a fitness trend discovered on social media.
What are the Most Popular Trends?
So, what are some of the most popular fitness trends that have emerged from social media? The same research looked into the most popular fitness trends on social media and found that the most popular is the “30-day gallon of water a day” challenge with as many as 34% of respondents trying this challenge. 27% had tried the “100 rep challenge”, 25% gave the “burning 600 calories in 60 minutes” challenge and 24 had tried the ski/jump rope challenge. Other popular trends include pilates (24%), “the treadmill strut” (21%), “hot girl walk” (20%), “12-3-20” (17%), “75 hard challenge” (16%) and “drinking profee” (16%).
Opinion of some of the most popular trends is mixed among experts. Some claim that they can bring positive results and encourage people to lead a healthier lifestyle, but others warn that the supposed benefits were exaggerated and some trends could even be dangerous. As mentioned above, this is why it is so important to consider the source of the information and research content creators before starting a trend. It is also a good idea to seek advice from a professional before making any major changes to your lifestyle.
It is interesting to see how the fitness industry has been transformed by social media and can help people to lead a much healthier lifestyle, but you must always consider where you are getting your advice from before making any changes.