- Written by Frank Corey
To much fitness in the softcore porn industry, or to much softcore porn in the fitness industry?
Sex sells, and in the "Fitness Industry" it appears that the only thing that matters is how good you look naked or the illusion of you being naked posed in a sexual position. Here's what wikiapedia defines as softcore porn (still photography or film that has a pornographic or erotic component) hmmm erotic component,well lets look up the definition of such word here Erotic: Of, relating to, or tending to arouse sexual desire. Now we can go back and forth all day as to what might arouse sexual desire in one might not do so in another, and that's not why I'm writing this blog. No I'm writing it because social media and the attention crazed individuals who feed off of your every click of a lick have distorted your view of yourself worth, of what a healthy body image should look like and of what healthy living really means.
Here's a question to ponder first, when did it become socially acceptable to bend over with nothing more than a thong on and take a picture and leave some hashtags so people could see your "glute gains" Or too pull your pants down so low to show your abdominal area that I can almost see your private parts? Better yet lets wear sweatpants with no underwear on so the outline of your junk is clearly in view..? When, When did this all become "OK".. I'll tell you when! It was when doing so, received more attention then the normal lets take a picture and smile, it was when doing so got a product pushed and money in their bank account. It's your fault and mine for doing what should have been done, not liking and blocking these fools. Picking on Instagram specifically go through any account with over a couple of million followers and you'll be sure to see skin and lots of it posed in sexually suggested manners.
Side stepping: As a personal trainer and hearing news of potential integration into the health care continuum, I say pump the brakes!! Besides the hurdle of barrier to education entry lets look at how we market ourselves. I've never once seen a doctor advertise for themselves half naked, granted most of the time it's all done by their reputation and the hospitals persitge. How many times though do you see a trainer or supplement company pushing their product with their or someone elses body? Don't answer because it's rhetorical.. The answers is a lot. Which tells me a few things, one they have lowered themselves to the lowest forum of selling and that's by the look at me strategy, look at how good I look naked and look how "happy" I am and if you buy my product you'll look and feel happy too. Two that they have little to no self worth of themselves and that it takes attention for them to feel OK with how they look only because you gave them such said attention. We call this extrinsic motivation, you know the kind your mother used to give you as a little kid after a job well done. Something that encouraged you to continue doing such acts because mom or dad gave you those verbal applauds. Those likes and comments are that extrinsic motivation to those individuals, and it only fuels them to continuing posting such things.
What I'm not saying:
- That women need to wear clothes from head to toe, as a heterosexual male I enjoy the female body. In a tasteful manner mind you! You can leave that booty pic, cleavage shot for the thirsty boys.
- That all men or women who do model are desperate for attention, and that sometimes pictures of athletic bodies can help motivate someone to START their OWN journey into what their healthy body looks like.
What I am saying:
- Stop comparing your body to that of someone else and translating that into your self worth.
- Social media is a wonderful tool for playing someone's highlight reel and never showing you the ugly dirty side of the truth.
- Sex sells.
- Have some damn self respect for yourself!
Here's an article from at the time a 40year old women in the "fitness" industry at one of it's largest events, The Arnold Classic. Which I've been to a handful of times during the beginning of my own personal fitness journey.
Here's another article on the impact social media has on body image
In closing as a personal trainer I deal with those daily who have a poor self image of themselves and struggle due to constant comparison by what is pumped out to them daily in all different facets by what healthy is "supposed" to look like. This irritates me to no end as I see these wonderful, strong people on a whole different plane then that as they view themselves. So if you are one who posts such things, do some self reflection on how you're really impacting your followers. If you're a personal trainer, shame on you! Remember why we are given the opportunity to help people and stop severing your self fulfilled agenda. If we want to be taken seriously by congress we must start conducting ourselves as such professionals to be paid as professionals in the health care field.