As someone who spends an embarrassing amount of their time on Instagram, I pride myself in being able to recognize different Instagram trends. The most prominent of which seems to be the ever increasing “fitspiration” or “fitspo” accounts. These accounts feature women such as, Jen Selter (2.0m followers) , Chalene Johnson (297k followers) , Stephanie Pacca (86k followers) and Kayla Itsines (337k followers). Every day they post motivational photos of their washboard abs, their tanned and toned legs, and inspirational quotes telling others to put the donuts down and go for a run.
The hashtag #fitspo has over 6 million photos associated with it and numbers are rising every day. The words “fitspiration” or “fitspo” is a blend of the words fitness and inspiration, and refer to a body or person that someone aspires to look like. The images these women post make both users shield their eyes in fear of invading their privacy, and yet not be able to peel their eyes away in utter jealousy.
Another term I learned when reading an article in USA Today on this very subject, was “Belfie”. I couldn’t help myself but to laugh in the middle of the library when I learned that it is a blend of the word “butt” and “selfie”. Yup, you guessed it! It is most definitely a photo that someone has taken of their own posterior and then posted as motivation on the internet.
By posting these hashtags and photos, people are attempting to motivate others throughout the world of Instagram. These women have become so popular that they are publishing nutrition and workout guides that they sell to their followers from anywhere of $19.95 – $150.
It is my belief that this trend is being fueled by many factors:
- The sexual appeal of seeing women in very little clothing is undoubtably a factor.
- The world wide push to make citizens aware of what they eat and the amount of exercise they commit to.
- Instagram users associate these women as “real people”. They aren’t the typical model you see photoshopped in a magazine, but rather someone who has taken a quick selfie with their smartphone.
- Everyone loves some good inspiration! A story or constant reminder of something that they desire, a goal if you will.
tinytips 