Do you seek affirmation once you’ve hit 10,000 steps?
As January comes to an end, traditionally the resolutions of many across the nation do to. But with the rise of fitness bloggers and healthy eating programmes taking over our screens, could our generation be somehow brainwashed into a craze of all things fit and healthy.
Most of us seize the opportunity January brings to start afresh and commit to established goals. According to a recent YouGov poll, the most popular New Years resolutions of 2018 were to eat better and exercise more...surprise, surprise. These same statistics are shared in several other national poles and also include the likes of taking a more active approach to health.
So why are we obsessed with getting fit? Is it because our health is lacking dramatically, or is it a desire to be a part of a larger community of people? Or could it in-fact be the pressure of following mainstream culture. Being physically fit means you are able to engage in consistent exercise. This is as a result of your cardiovascular system being healthy. The ability to perform endurance activities and have a healthy ratio of muscle and fat on your body can offer many health benefits. Increasing our life span and reducing the risk of disease are just a couple. But this is something that’s always been a well known of fact.
Social media bombards our feeds daily with pictures of celebrity body transformations, as well as ”fitspirational” mottos for changing one’s life. Besides technological advancements through the media influencing our health, the increase of tracking devices like fit bits and apple watches that record our daily physical activity have acted as a source of motivation and discussion in many of our social groups.
Perhaps the invasion of statistics and toned abs on our screens have contributed to the way we perceive health in 2018. And therefore this craze is a source of something less traditional than ever before.
Saranya Umashankar
Rosebery School
