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The podcast discusses the relationship between social media and fitness culture. Social media serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for fitness enthusiasts, offering valuable information and encouragement. It also creates online communities where like-minded individuals can connect and support each other. However, there are negative aspects, such as unrealistic body standards and the dangers of overtraining. To navigate the influence of social media, it is important to question the content we consume and set boundaries. Overall, social media has changed the way we approach health and wellness, and it is up to us to use it in a positive way. Welcome to our podcast, Stay Fit, I'm more than happy to announce my first episode where we dive into the increasing relationship between social media and fitness culture. I'm your host, Gerald Todd, aka G, ready to explore how the digital landscape has reshaped our approach to health and wellness, so let's kick things off by looking at the bright side. We all know that social media has become kind of a hub or place of inspiration and motivation for fitness enthusiasts globally. From Instagram influencers to YouTube fitness trainers, from 8 years old kids to 80 years old elders, it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from, it finds you and offers lots of valuable information and encouragement regarding fitness culture. So let's just imagine you're scrolling through your feed and stumble upon a workout video from people that you don't even know but still their physical representation, the way they look, ignites something in you. Suddenly you feel a surge of motivation to hit the gym and break a sweat, so that's the power of social media in action. So the same thing happens to me quite regularly when I'm just being lazy, casually scrolling down the reels on Instagram, so these guys with perfect athletic bodies show up and motivate me. It's not about I want to be like them, but it's more about I want to be physically active and healthy. So that's where all these motivations come from. But another thing to keep in mind is that it's not just about individual motivation. Social media also plays a crucial role in today's world for creating online communities where like-minded individuals can connect and support each other on their journeys. So I would say this is a very superb aspect of it for fitness enthusiasts who need pro workout tips, nutritious information and motivation and all. So without these communities, none of this would have come real for sure. So whether you're a fitness gym-goer or a beginner, it doesn't matter where you are, there's always a place for you in this vast digital fitness landscape. So let's take for example David Goggins, a guy that nobody had known before all this social media hurricane thing came in. But now he's known as the toughest guy on earth, waking up at 4am, running 20 miles a day, pushing up, pulling up, weight lifting, ice bath, studying, just a crazy fella. And now he has inspired millions of people with his extraordinary feats of endurance and mental toughness. He shares his story and encourages others through social media to push past their limits and achieve their goals and many people have now appeared to be following his goal. So another thing that we should keep in mind, there's always negative sides. Like any double-edged sword, social media has browsed many dark sides such as unrealistic body standards, perpetuated by influencers and naturally born fitness models. Counting all these negative aspects of this phenomenon will go beyond what I could name on mental related issues. So the constant barrage of filtered and altered images and flawless physiques can lead many users to body dissatisfaction and unhealthy comparisons. Which often results in lower self-esteem, negative self-perception and all these negative things. Also, we should not forget the physical side of it. What I mean is that, for example, the dangers of overtraining and burnout. First of all, not everybody is born with the same genes and metabolic rate. Some people are naturally strong and some people are not. Some people are the opposite. But with fitness influencers promoting extreme workout routines, like showcasing near perfect body ratio, it's very easy, it's so easy for people to fall unconsciously into the trap of pushing their bodies beyond what their bodies can do. So indeed, the consequences can be severe, from fatigue and injury to disordered eating habits and body dissatisfaction, body shame and all. So after discussing both the positive and negative sides, the question that's remaining is how do we navigate the influence of social media on our fitness journey? So what I think is that it should all start with questioning the image and videos we encounter online, whether they are real, whether they use filters, whether their images are altered. So again, it's extremely easy to fall into those traps. So the only way to prevent yourself from falling into the traps is always staying aware of the content you consume and always questioning it, without being influenced and dictated by them unconsciously, so that we can protect ourselves against unreleased beauty standards and negative self-perception. So not only by being aware and questioning, social media platforms always grant options to set boundaries. It's also crucial to establish limits on our social media use and protect our mental well-being. So remember, it's always okay to unfollow accounts that don't align with our values or make us feel not enough. So it's always okay to unfollow this. So let's wrap up today's episode. Let's reflect on the impact of social media on fitness culture. So what is true is that it has radically changed the way we approach health and wellness. It's now our choice to navigate its power for good. We can build a better relationship with social media just by staying mindful of the content we consume and the communities we engage with. So I guess this is the end. So thank you for joining me on this journey. And until next time, keep striving for your fitness goals, both on and online. So this was Gerald Todd, aka G, signing off. Goodbye.