Social Media and the Gym: Should I be Sharing?

In the crazy tech-driven world of today, everything we do gets catalogued on the internet. From yesterday’s breakfast to political gripes and cat videos, most things get their time in the sun.

Of course, the gym was never going to escape the digital era, and an entire industry has grown up around Instagram and YouTube fitness celebs, with many trainees feeling the urge to get a snap of their abs for the world to appreciate.

Question is — should you be sharing?

 

Question 1: Can you take the heat?

 

The first question you’ve got to ask yourself before sharing videos of your Zumba session, or your majestic biceps, is… can you take the heat?

With the wild frontier of the internet being what it is, you should always prepare for the possibility of some negativity, scorn, or general snarky comments whenever you choose to put yourself out there. 

Some of it might even be from your friends. Of course, if you’re the type who won’t let others bring you down, then it’s no problem.

Question 2: Who’s watching?

 

The next thing to consider is who you’re showing off to, and who’s watching. If you’ve got your profile wrapped in iron chains and set to private with only the closest and most trusted of your friends being privy to your posts, negative blow-back is unlikely.

If you’re showcasing yourself to the whole world on an open Instagram account, with a welcome mat laid out for maximum likes, consider the fact that your granny, boss, or arch-nemesis may be watching clips of you screaming at the top of your lungs with a dumbbell in each hand.

 

Question 3: What do you get out of it?

 

Next question — what do you get out of sharing your gym-life with the web? Obvious answers include; appreciation, confidence, pride in your accomplishments, motivation and so on.

That’s all great, just so long as the experience is as positive in reality as you were hoping for.

Beware, though. What can start as a fun game can quickly become an obsession, with you logging into your Instagram account every 10 minutes throughout the day to count up your likes and compare each of your shots to the Instagram model crowd.

Before you know it, you’re wasting hours and hours of your valuable time.

Question 4: What does anyone else get out of it?

 

It’s always good to help others, right? So, when you’re fighting the urge to post your latest earth-shattering gym session on social media, why not kill two birds with one stone?

Instead of just putting up a random pose-shot for likes, why not also throw in something positive or helpful for your fans and followers?

Diet or exercise tips, or a log of your fitness progress can all be ways for other people to benefit from your selfies. Even a motivational quote is better than nothing.

 

Question 5: What motivates you?

 

It’s always great to share what inspires you to work hard around the gym and is also a great way to show your appreciation to the people or objects that help you. Whether it’s your gym buddies, a new workout or your pet that helps you keep fit, we want to see what motivates you in the gym. Share your picture using our hashtag #ImPureGymMotivated and you can be in with a chance to win a FREE month membership at one of our gyms. Check out more of the entries here and see what motivates our members.