Is fitness being “pornified”?

I just read an pretty cool article that discusses the “pornification” of the fitness industry.

This concept is something that has been on my mind as of late, and no better time to discuss it than the present!

The most popular fitness accounts on social media are, in my opinion, pretty dramatically sexualized. The men and women behind these accounts are typically baring a generous amount of skin. But they aren’t the only ones. I can’t scroll through my morning news feed without seeing women posing for pictures in their underwear. Showing skin is an easy way to increase following on social media. I don’t know if science has proved this yet, but it probably doesn’t need to…

Is this a group thing?

So what’s the deal? Is this inappropriate? Well I guess that depends on who you ask.

I am in no way offended by the women posing in their skivvies for a picture. Obviously I follow these fitness accounts for a reason. We are all working towards self-improvement. It sounds so cliche, but when you work hard for your body you want to show it off. I totally get that, and I am completely comfortable with the human body. These people are proud of what they have accomplished and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. It’s your body and if you want to put it out there, fitbody or not, that is your business.

Sure, there are a few people out there who post risque pictures for attention.That doesn’t bother me either. It suggests a lot more about the current human experience than it does any one person. We live in a day and age where people turn to social media for support and acceptance. And what gets more support and acceptance than a sexy post-workout birthday suit?

The author of the article I read touched on this subject and I think he also makes a good point:

“I think it stems from being starved of physical intimacy, touch, and the opportunity to see the human body in all of its glorious forms. The media constantly barrages us with a narrow range of human bodies, and on a subconscious level, we accept that to be the height of beauty.”

The pornification of the fitness industry can only be a trend if the masses accept it as such. So the question isn’t if we accept it, it’s why. Perhaps we are so starved of intimacy with one another that seeing the bare skin of another person somehow fills in the gap for us in some way. Maybe it makes us feel close to others in some partial way.

I tend to dress modestly on my instagram for the most part. I’m not going to pretend like I never wear a bikini, but I’m also not going to be taking a full on squat booty pic anytime soon. And I’m not hating on anyone, it just boils down to personal preference for me. My friends and family, loving me as they do, don’t really want to see that. And I would like for them to continue to follow me.

I also want my following to be based on who I am as a person. I think I have been successful in cultivating a wonderful and vibrant group of followers for this reason. We are like-hearted; we share passions and values. And they follow me for me, and not for my sex appeal (I think).

I’m very curious to hear what other people think… so what’s your opinion? It’s fitness becoming too sexy/pornographic?