Long walks and home workouts were “old” way of staying fit however, in this day in age, gyms are becoming a part of modern fitness culture. You would see people pumping to the heavy music, sweating and the gym would be crowded where people come to challenge themselves. Some say they join the gym to tackle illnesses, their new year resolution and for others, to be ready for summer.
The gym offers an opportunity for social interaction and the chance for personal development. However, even though the gym can improve physical and mental health, they can sometimes be an environment where you do not feel positive and comfortable.
New trends and things have been portrayed in the gym for instance, body dysmorphia, fake nutritionists, recordings in the gym, and negative self- comparison. So, can the gym play a part in toxic mental health outcomes, specifically for the populations who are more vulnerable to eating disorders, body image issues and new gym goers?
Studies have shown that exercise supports mental health with endorphins stress hormones, coping ability, and can cause the brain to release ‘feel good’ chemicals that help improve your mood. Attending the gym or just simply exercising often can help with managing stress, memory and brain functioning, heart, muscle and bone health and reducing the risk of developing long term health conditions. More benefits such as having more energy, increase of self-confidence, exceptional quality of life, and better memory are advantages from the gym.
Below, Jonathan and Samuel will quote about their experiences in the gym. They are gym goers and I kindly asked them to tell me their experience in the gym.
Jonathan said, “So, I started going to the gym because the gym is such a great escape for me, I’ve learned so much about life and understanding and seeing just, a lot of different things. Gym is like my second home, I go 7 days a week, 2 hours a day, it’s all I really do. I study it in my spare time, I research it, it really helps to be calm as well”.
Samuel mentioned, “The gym makes me improve my confidence and, I feel like I have gained more confidence after going to the gym for a month. My diet has been pretty good now, I usually eat just junk food like chicken and chips everyday but now I eat salad, roast chicken, eggs and all sorts of that. I think that you should go to the gym as well cause, you know it’s very good for your mental health and your physical health.”
Regarding the advantages of gyms, they can furthermore tend to construct environments that aggravate mental health struggles. Many factors are included such as:
Body Image Pressures and Dysmorphia
The gym is mostly portrayed as a safe space to build your “perfect” body which can produce unhealthy standpoint when it comes to one’s appearances. Much research has shown that the gym can also rise body dissatisfaction, body dysmorphia, especially when it comes to women as they feel more pressure to fit into beauty standards and keep in shape. With this mindset, it can cause people to have eating disorders. Many people who attend the gym feel as if they are constantly comparing themselves to others, in person and on social media and with this, it can make the individual feel like they have gym anxiety. Social media has turned the gym into a reckless clout chase. We are in a mental health crisis where we individuals want to be in spaces for escape on the other hand, trends, and influencers on apps such as Instagram and TikTok have encouraged and energized numerous young people to start attending the gym but also doing unhealthy methods and expecting unrealistic goals.
Toxic and Competitions
There are certain gym categories — such as bodybuilding and weightlifting — where that may eulogise and applaud to extreme discipline, aggression, and domination. This can create a toxic environment where people will over push themselves to do more than their limits just to fit into something that is becoming “popular” in the gym world. Other individuals arrive in the gym with the mindset as a form of “guilt” after eating a certain amount of food to “burn off” the calories which reinforces disordered eating patterns.
Nutrition and Supplements
Gym supplements and fake nutritionists have become very popular in gym life. Exercise is important in everyone’s life to expand their health, however; the significant thing is how you do it. A lot of people don’t know how to spot misinformation when it comes to nutrition or exercise which can lead to damage because people would imitate these “fitness influencers” in the industries, they are not transparent and educated in their field.
Many people had announced how disappointed they were when they would model someone’s life, and they do not obtain similar results. To lower the toxicity in the gym, personal trainers, gym professionals and gym goers can devote themselves to accomplishing a broader psychologically safe environment and body positivity by representing and marketing different body types to show that they are all acknowledged and offering support in the community space.
To wrap it all up, the gym is not always toxic as it can also depend on the individuals’ personal factors. Creating a safe atmosphere and mentally healthy gym culture can make people committed to the gym as they know they will receive the support they need.