We’ve all seen them online: new fitness trends that influencers promote; challenges that everyone copies and workout gear or clothing that is being bought until shops are out of stock.
The fitness industry in 2022 has become a lot more accepting of different body types though as well as it has been encouraging self-love and healthy eating habits instead of starving yourself.
“Strong is the new skinny” – is what you can read a lot these days. However, there are still some trends that we think need to die asap!
Dry Scooping
Dry scooping has become a huge fitness trend on social media which basically means that you take your protein powder or other supplements straight from the container in a cup and swallow it without mixing or blending the powder with water. Some people swallow the powder with a sip of water which is already quite a challenge due to how dry the powder is, but some even just take it straight up without any liquid.
According to people participating in that trend, the protein powder’s high content in caffeine, protein, creatine and other stimulants is supposed to enter your system quicker that way and allows you to have more energy for your workout. Which is obviously nonsense. The German influencer David (name changed to remain anonymous) explained to me: “I guess it’s become a trend because it’s sort of like a challenge where you’re seen as cool if you’re able to swallow the powder without water. It does sound stupid saying it out loud but at the end of the day it’s just fun and games you know? My bros and me we tease each other if someone doesn’t dry scoop so it’s definitely more of a “proving something to someone”- thing rather than thinking we’ll have more energy or perform better.”
The high amount of caffeine in pre-workout powders can be as high as 3 medium sized cups of coffee which brings a risk as the caffeine is consumed in such a short amount of time and with no or little liquid to water it down. Eventually heart palpitations and increased blood pressure can be the result.
Another risk can be that you accidentally inhale the powder due to its dry consistency and in worst case scenarios it ends up in your lungs which can lead to inflammation and lung infections. Most of us probably remember the cinnamon challenge that made its rounds a couple of years ago where people swallowed a dry spoon of cinnamon and started coughing with some ending up in similar situations as explained above.
Waist trainers
We’ve most likely all seen them on people like the Kardashians or other celebs. They may not be as new but they definitely had to make it onto the list because unfortunately, many women on social media still underestimate the risks of waist trainers and they’re being worn til this day.
The main purpose of waist trainers is to achieve the popular hourglass figure look. The tough fabric and hard metal inside the waist trainer aim to pull your waist tight together and as much as they may work if worn a lot, they carry big risks:
One of the main criticisms that waist trainers had to face was the amount of internal damage they can cause. Forcing your upper body into such a squeezed in position will make internal organs move around unnaturally which can cause immense organ damage and according to the Royal College of Surgeons of England corsets or waist trainers can even deform the rib cage completely.
It is also important to point out that waist trainers simply don’t make you lose weight. If you actually want to have a slimmer waist you have to watch your diet and focus on core exercises at the gym. But ultimately, you cannot change your genetics and your bone structure.
4) Fit teas/detox teas
Chances are high that your favourite influencer has promoted one of these before. For some funny reason, many influencers suddenly jump on the train of detoxing and drinking some magic tea that makes you lose weight fast and supposedly gets rid of all the bad toxins in your body… only for them to sit in Insta Cafes sipping coffee and eating fancy French toast with edible flowers a few days after.
Detoxing with liquids like juices, tea or water for a day or two make you physically feel good if you have been eating lots of junk food before. You will feel less bloated and generally “lighter” however, long detox fasts are counterproductive and if anything will probably make you end up binging on food afterwards. Actively changing your lifestyle by eating a healthy diet with lots of fibre, carbs and protein whilst regularly exercising is the answer.
Especially those fit teas that promote some special ingredients to help you lose weight quicker mostly contain the same herbs as regular teas you can buy in the store. According to science daily, drinking green tea before taking supplements can help offer protection from toxicity. Clearly, green tea is a lot cheaper than FitTea and other detox tea brands.
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