Episode 9: Filtered Fitness Pt. II: Social Media, But Make it Healthy

Welcome back — seven months later, still anti-ketchup, still recording in my bedroom. Some things never change.

Picking up where we left off, we’re diving back into the mess that is social media and fitness. This time, I’m handing you the mop:

• Tips to curate a feed that actually makes you feel empowered — not like you want to cry (crazy concept)
• How to spot fitness content that should come with a "do not attempt" label (where my influencers that barely eat but still "feel great" at?)
• Defining what a healthy relationship with fitness actually looks like for you, not your high school gym teacher
• How to trick your algorithm into being a better friend
• How to scroll like a mindful, well-adjusted adult— even if your ADHD, like mine, says, "but what if we didn't?" 

Bonus features: I mess up the audio (again), my dog makes guest appearances I didn’t approve, and I’m still allergic to avocado. Growth?

Here are some positive creators that I find motivating and helpful: 

• @haileybarragan
• @flourishwithciandra
• @healwithchar
• @abbydegraff_
• @eatswithshelby
• @sweetandspicymacros
• @gabbymale
• @gabbyvillermaux
• @nuttyfoodiefitness
• @projectheal
• @fionasimpson
• @talkedcharity
• @bodyimage360
• @thegirlsgonestrong
• @emdonks
• @thenutritiontea
• @diandramejia
• @maeve_madden
• @run2food
• @steph_gaudreau
• @jacykirby33
• @fitwaffle
• @kk_fit_
• @emmasyummys
• @abbydegraff_
• @meg.boggs
• @curveswithmoves
• @themirnivator
• @asap.yogi

Linked Checklist:

Social Media Reset Checklist

Instagram: @morethanabodypod

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction & Digital Decluttering
• 4:35 Identifying Your Digital Triggers
• 8:15 Red Flags in Fitness Content
• 13:37 Defining Your Healthy Relationship with Fitness
• 16:12 Using Social Media Intentionally
• 21:35 Creating Community & Future Episodes

Transcript

McKenna: 0:00

Yo is this thing on?

McKenna: 0:02

After talking for the better part of a half hour about how shitty the online space can be when it comes to fitness in the last episode, and also about seven months later, I figured it'd be a good time to maybe talk about the other half-- which is how to cultivate an online space or surround yourself with accounts and posts and all those types of things that are going to help you build a healthier relationship with your body and also with exercise. I spent the better part of the entire last episode kind of crapping on influencers and the athletic space online in general, and I do think that there are positives to social media and I do feel like there's ways to utilize it that can actually be more motivating. that's what I'm hoping to kind of get into today. I also made a little checklist that I'll put in the show notes after that people can access online in terms of how to like, clean up their feed.

McKenna: 1:00

I don't really know the right way to word that, but the first thing that I really wanted to focus on is algorithmic traps, because it's like you like or watch one fitness video and all of a sudden, your feed is flooded with certain things and if those videos or those people or those posts or whatever that you're engaging with don't necessarily have healthy messaging, you're going to be surrounded with content that kind of like goes to extremes. I like to think of the first step kind of as a digital decluttering. Unfollowing, muting, hiding, things that trigger feelings of anxiety or shame-- feelings that you're just not doing enough or you're not good enough.

McKenna: 1:38

A thing that I like to ask myself when engaging with content is: does this make me feel good after I watch it or after I see it? I think that's a really important question to ask yourself, because sometimes we might know something doesn't necessarily make us feel good, but we continue to engage with it. I know I gave an example before about me watching what I Eat in a Day videos. I knew that that didn't make me feel good, but yet I became really obsessive about it and wanted to continue watching them. It takes a lot of self-awareness and, yes, discipline to be able to look at something and know that it might not be good for you and make the choice to walk away from it. So when it comes to influencers or posts of that nature relating to fitness or food or movement or whatever, I think it's super important that you go through your feed-- people that you're following, and look at the people that you notice yourself comparing yourself to, or the content that does make you feel a little bit like shit, and restrict those posts or unfollow those accounts.

McKenna: 2:49

*Barking in background* And that's my dog.

McKenna: 2:50

That influencer or that content will literally always, always be there

McKenna: 2:54

. . othat l....

McKenna: 2:54

nfluencer if you unfollow a certain account because you don't feel what they're posting about makes you feel good about yourself or is uplifting or motivating . Is you, the really cool thing is you can always go back and follow them. If you feel like you really regretted it, like if myself, checking their feed every day like it's your ex-girlfriend after a fresh breakup, then okay, if you really want to, if you feel like it serves you, you can always follow them back. But just try it and I guarantee you it's going to be like me with reality TV. like, go through my followers once a month and unfollow all the reality stars that I used to watch and I don't think about them really ever again. Or I do, maybe like seven months from now,"oh and it's like you know what? Do I really need to know what's going on in their lives? No, they probably still haven't found that it's a guilty pleasure for me. You can get as intentional as you want with it or as completely unintentional as you want with it, but really just asking yourself that question is this something that makes me feel good when I am looking at this person's account? Is it content that makes me feel good about myself that encourages me to continue on a path towards my goals, or is it something that I feel like gets me really in my head about what I'm doing or my routine? Sometimes it might. I mean, there are people out there where it's like they suggest exercise tips and it's like man, I never thought about incorporating that into my routine. I feel like there's a very distinct difference between content that makes you kind of shame yourself versus content that makes you wonder and be like, oh, that's something really cool that I think I'd like to try out.

McKenna: 4:25

And if you're super apprehensive to unfollowing and that kind of a thing, you can replace. You don't necessarily have to remove. I'm going to put a lot of positive creators in the show notes. Accounts that I follow, which this episode comes at a weird time because I deactivated my Instagram and my Facebook not that long ago to get like a nice little online detox of sorts, and it's been nice to not be online. But I will include more positive creators in the show notes, because there are a lot out there. As many as there are that are ripping steroids and they're just super negative, there are also more accounts now that, I think, focus a lot on body positivity, on movement that extends just beyond the gym and weightlifting, that encompass intuitive eating and prioritize healthy relationships with food and also having a full life outside of exercise, because that's like a really neat and cool concept as well outside of exercise, because that's like a really neat and cool concept as well. Seek those accounts out, especially if you're apprehensive about unfollowing people, because you still maybe rely on the things that you see online to help you in your goals and push you and for inspiration in terms of things that you want to cook or exercise routines or whatever. The online space, like I said, can actually be a really positive thing for that.

McKenna: 5:46

I started my workout journey in COVID and did a lot of at-home exercises because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Sometimes still when I want to shake up my routine a little bit, I will look online for ideas per se, rather than just sticking to the same exercises. You can still find those things with people that promote it in a positive manner. There are therapists out there, body positive trainers, intuitive eating accounts that are really, really great, and you can use tools like the not interested feature. This is actually a really weird suggestion, but you could even create a second account just for positive wellness content. That is, I guess, kind of what my podcast page was-- well, a fitness page really, but I switched that up. I've been out of the gym for like nine months or so and it's been super weird but also really great for me, and I've recently started to get back into it. But that's kind of what my podcasting page is. For me, it's like a space where I have all these positive creators and all this awesome content.

McKenna: 6:49

And then I have my personal page. That's people in my life and people from high school that are having babies and that own houses, and I'm like broke in my apartment using my laptop to record this.

McKenna: 7:00

I lost my thought. Uh, that's the adhd for you. I found it. I found it. I found it halfway through.

McKenna: 7:09

That's my account where, yes, I engage with the people that I love, the people I care about, but also the people that I don't really interact with anymore, but you know we went to high school together. We were like pen pals in middle school, so there's like a moral obligation to some extent. But also where I follow reality TV stars like from the Bachelor and Love Island and that stuff because you know super important. And then my podcasting page is where I sort of have a space for myself in terms of exercise and a positive relationship with food and eating disorder, therapists and all that stuff. So it's always possible to create yourself an entirely separate account as well, to create a little bit of a divide In order to be able to unfollow those accounts.

McKenna: 7:58

A really important thing is first recognizing what they look like, and what they look like is obviously going to be different for everybody. I think that's why it's important to ask yourself questions like: does this content make me feel inadequate or ashamed? Do I feel guilty for not working out after watching this? Is this pushing me toward obsession rather than consistency? Ask yourself those questions. But also you have to know, for you, what the signs may be that content is not healthy. So, for example, what I eat in a day videos might be really beneficial for somebody that has a non-obsessive brain or has a healthy approach to fitness. I look at people that do shows and I'm like you're cool because I could literally never do that without developing a full-blown eating disorder. But there are some people that can just be that disciplined and that is fun to them and hats off to you because it could never be me. But learn what that looks like for you, whether it's accounts that solely focus on weight loss or any post-transformation photos or they have guilt-based messaging. Try to notice what things are going to trigger those feelings of guilt or shame or comparison in yourself. It's kind of like that therapeutic approach. Learn what your triggers are first in essence. We say that a lot in the mental health world with clients is recognize your triggers first, because then ultimately, we can learn what to do with them and how to react based on that.

McKenna: 9:30

I'm gonna name off some immediate red flags for myself, just to get the ball rolling, I guess, allowing you the space to think about what red flags might be for you in terms of content that you engage with. There's a lot of language red flags for me. So things like 'no excuses,' 'you have to earn your food', 'summer body,' 'clean eating,' some of those language type things can be big red flags for me just because I used to have way too much discipline and be way too rigid and lost living. I missed out on so many aspects of life because social media pushed me to think that I wasn't allowed to skip a day of training because it was a holiday or I wasn't allowed to eat certain foods unless I had earned it.

McKenna: 10:21

The accounts that also glorified burnout as being disciplined. I have like a lot of overuse injuries. I have bone spurs in my knees. I did break my tailbone twice. Well, I actually kind of shattered it. So squatting and deadlifting is super hard for me. I don't really do any of those things anymore. I'm pretty sure my rotator cuff is going out because I had a weird obsession with shoulders and I do still really like hitting shoulders, but it limits the motion and the movement that I'm able to with. The bone spurs in of my knee are from running seven miles a day the same day that I was front squatting 225 pounds or whatever. And that's another thing is sometimes-- I guess I shouldn't have even said that, because people saying sometimes what weight they're hitting can be red flags for me, and not all the . I have friends that it's like, they they hit really big milestones and I'm like, holy shit, that's so awesome that you just squatted, whatever, whatever, whatever. But sometimes, especially when I was in more of a comparison space with influencers that look the way that I wanted to look, knowing the amount of weight that they were , was something that was hard for me because then I would push myself to do that or try to hit that weight which I've really shifted away from. I was just reflecting not that long ago on how far away from disorderedness I feel lately and that was a really ADHD way of getting off topic because we completely started in a different place.

McKenna: 11:46

But yes, that glorifying burnout, rest is just as important as working out. I'm getting a sports social work certificate this summer which is all about working with athletes. last week's course content was about how sleep is so vital to athletes and how no other form of rest can replace sleep in any way. That's just such an important component. Your muscles, your body-- they need time to heal because if you want to be doing this for the rest of your life.. you know, I'm terrified man, these freaking bone spurs in my knee.. what if I'm 70 and I can't be dancing? That would suck real bad.

McKenna: 12:27

Any sort of content that I find myself comparing myself to is also an immediate red flag for me. If I notice that I'm comparing myself in any type of way, then that's an account that I almost immediately unfollow. I also think accounts that focus on, this, obsession with aesthetics as opposed to function or health. I like to move my body because it makes me feel good. I'm super lucky to be able to have function in all of my limbs and organs and all those fun things that make up who I am. I like to move also because it's good for my body. I want to be able to not pop my hip out when I'm 60 and I want to maybe go to bingo and then get a little bit too shnockered and I feel like I want to bust a move.

McKenna: 13:11

I think there needs to be more of a focus on movement in terms of health and it being good for your body, as opposed to just what you want to look like. In essence, I think movement for a lot of people that want to lose weight is more about 'what I want to look like,' but there's a huge component of that that is tied to health, where I also just want to feel better as well. That's the thing is. You want your body to feel good. What does a healthy relationship with fitness look like for you? Get really intentional about that question, because it's so different for every single person.

McKenna: 13:43

I did this final project in my Social Media for Change class, interviewing 15 different people on how social media has impacted their relationship with their body. It was amazing because a lot of people said it's been impacted negatively, but the older-ish people that I interviewed said that they find it really motivating and it's inspired them in a positive way. Everyone talked about fitness and it was initially just about body yet it wasn't even beauty standards that people really ended up talking about. Which is how I know that exercise has become so pervasive and dominant online. But it was just neat to see how everybody's definition of what that looked like in a healthy way differed. And maybe I've done this whole thing backwards, because after you ask yourself what a healthy relationship with fitness looks like for you you need to first, identify your triggers so that way you can identify the content and the accounts that maybe you shouldn't be surrounding yourself with. Second, do a nice little algorithm detox-- unfollowing and muting accounts that you know trigger you in some way shape or form, and then actively engage with the accounts that promote body neutral or inclusive fitness. Like save, share, even just watch. Engage with that content, because one like and your feed is going to be flooded with that kind of stuff. I watch a video on this cool brunch place in Chicago and next thing I know I've got 15 brunch places in Chicago popping up. I

McKenna: 15:07

mentioned in the last episode as well. well, if you want to engage in movement, don't just engage in a form of movement that you feel like is popular online. Engage in a form of movement that feels good to you in the moment. Surround yourself with inclusive content that centers on diverse body types, intuitive movement, joyful eating, people living their lives, where you can actually see the balance. This could look like accounts that share workouts for all bodies, all skill levels, energy levels. Accounts that talk about rest. That incorporate mental health into physical health. That focus on self-compassion, strength, energy or mood as opposed to weight. That celebrate movement without body shaming. Look for body diverse coaches, therapists that post about exercise and disordered eating, joy-based movement, like I just said, dance, yoga, hiking, all of those things.

McKenna: 16:04

f was three things that got tied into one thing. I'm going to move on to the fourth thing, which is: use social media, don't be used by it. Limit your time scrolling, set a timer or app limits. I've set app limits or I've chosen to silence my notifications from X time to X time. I really honestly sometimes don't know if those features actually work, because I put Instagram, when mine was active, to be silenced for 23 hours a day and I swear I was still getting notifications. So if it works for you, that's amazing.

McKenna: 16:40

Limit your time that you spend online. Consume content with intention. What are you going online for? Are you going online for recipe ideas? Are you going online for tips on how to get back into a routine when you're struggling with motivation? Or are you just mindlessly doom scrolling, which is something that we all do? There's no shame. We listen and we don't judge. If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through stars', lives. Replace that with things like wellness, podcasts or even just going for a walk outside with reading or just something that kind of like gets your mind engaged, that maybe gets you physically engaged.

McKenna: 17:20

The more that I'm on my phone, the less present I feel in real life, and not even just on my phone, but on a screen in general. The more that I watch TV, which I literally just spent the last four hours finishing the season of the Ultimatum Queer Love on Netflix. I'm being such a hypocrite right now, but sitting there I was like 'I feel so ugh.' Which is what motivated me to come in here and actually start recording this. The longer that I spend behind a screen, the worse I feel. I say that and I'm literally behind a screen working on this podcast, but it's different.

McKenna: 17:53

Choose platforms that have less of a comparison culture. Some people find that Reddit or YouTube is easier to control than things like TikTok or Instagram, and I know Reddit gets a really bad rap and I can't say that I really utilize it often. But I'm sure on platforms like Reddit or YouTube or even Twitter because that's where all my anxious and depressed people are at-- shout out Twitter, I will never call it X-- I'm sure all of those platforms can also be equally insightful.

McKenna: 18:21

I mean Reddit, you You ask literally the most obscure question, like'what what is the squirrel down the street's name' and. there's There's a whole thread on it. So, So if you were to ask'what what are some good ways to get out of a performance ?' slump or'what what are some tips for when you're struggling with motivation?" motivation suggestions and naturally they're also going to be those people that are probably posting their penis in thread you win some and you lose some, but definitely try to look for platforms that avoid comparison culture or that you don't find yourself comparing as much. If you're one of those people where you might set a timer and you're a constant doom scroller, you can even set a timer for 10, 20 minutes and literally just change your environment. Get up once the timer goes off, close out of the app, literally do a lap walk around your living room if you have to. This might not work. It might be effective for some. Walk outside for a moment, take a good three deep breaths, walk into your kitchen, grab a, a snack and just separate yourself from that space for a period of time. That's a technique that is used sometimes with, like, binge eating is changing your space. That's also something that they suggest for people struggling with self-harm. I know that those are vastly different than what we're talking about right now, but if you struggle with? Okay, well, I set a timer and then the timer went off and I just resumed. Change your space a little bit or literally give yourself a good three minutes to walk outside or go wash your hands, because that's a really fun time. Do something different for that little blip in time, a little transition.

McKenna: 19:59

ou critical of wellness content and don't be afraid to be critical of it. Ask yourself is this advice something that's backed by science or is this just someone's personal anecdote? Ask yourself 'okay, I see the before and after photo. What exactly did it take and what exactly does it mean for someone to get to that point? And would I consider it healthy? Would I consider it realistic?' We

McKenna: 20:22

are the people that see a magic pill advertised on facebook and we absolutely love to buy into it and we end up wasting our money and it doesn't work. So when you're looking at products or plans that promise drastic changes or super fast results, be critical of those things. Don't immediately buy into them. And also look at the reviews and genuinely ask yourself if they look legit, because I do think that there are a lot of reviews on there that can be fake. You have intuition,. Use it. Be I would say be critical when it comes to stuff like this or be cautious in general. Even when it comes to what I eat in a day videos.

McKenna: 20:59

I know I keep saying that, I should feel like I should shut up about it. But a lot of times, those can often be unrealistic because it differs from person to person. Everything is so subjective and online, it's made to be a one-size-fits-all.

McKenna: 21:14

Do things offline in ways that practice self-care: journaling, cooking, rotting on your couch and playing Hogwarts Legacy. Which I use 'rotting' with a very positive connotation. Do something for yourself when you're offline to feel present with yourself.

McKenna: 21:33

Lastly, before you internalize messages, try to take a pause and, again, notice your emotional responses to different content and ask yourself questions. 'Am I feeling guilt? Am I feeling shame? Am I feeling inspired?' If you want to take it a step further, journal or just check in with yourself before you're taking fitness advice at face value, or even after. If being online is something that you really struggle with, sit with your thoughts after and ask yourself those questions. Check in with yourself. I said that was the last one, but I lied. .

McKenna: 22:08

Being online, I feel like, was created so that way people could share ideas and that way there was an online community where people could engage with one another. Do that. Join online groups or forums, or you can follow hashtags. Crazy enough. If you want to follow my mom's it's #takeachanceonme, or #chanceofalifetimemaxwell after her golden retriever that she adopted. , you can follow hashtags. Feel free to follow that one. You probably will only see two posts because I don't think anybody else in the world is using it, but join those things that center around intuitive eating or body neutrality, mindful movement or joyful exercise. Engage with those people.

McKenna: 22:44

You might build great connections, but it's also awesome to see how other people are approaching their own journey in a positive way. You get support, you get ideas, you get inspiration. It can just be a really great way to lift one another up.

McKenna: 22:59

That's it. That's all I have, which means that after two whole years, the next episode I get to work on is my most favorite one I've ever done. It's an interview with a four-year-old. However, she's six now and she's really going to want me to let you know that because her favorite foods have definitely evolved and changed. Like I said, I'm going to link a little checklist in the show notes that I've kind of made for people that do want to declutter or work on making their social media experience, I guess, more healthy in a way that works for them. Then I'm also going to put a bunch of accounts that I think are really, really helpful for me in the show notes as well. I would encourage you today, if you are somebody that's struggling with toxicity online or comparison, unfollowing one to three accounts and searching out one to three positive accounts So unfollowing one to three accounts that maybe make you feel negative but also replacing those with one to three accounts that have positive messaging that you resonate with. .

McKenna: 23:57

The next episode will also be a two-parter. I've got a really great interview with a four-year-old and then her mom on kind of like what a kid's relationship with food looks like before they grow up and it's tainted by food rules from people in their lives or online or whatever the heck. And I'm just so excited to get that one out. I don't really have anything else to say. So this just is starting to feel awkward. Actually, it's my dog's third birthday on the 17th. He just got over his fear of bicycles and he's trained to know where we're going based off of songs. So 'Pocket Full of Sunshine' by Natasha Bedingfield is the dog park. I can't play that and leave you with that right now because we haven't gone today, but I will leave you with the song that is played when he goes to get a doggy Sunday, because we're still. We're still working on that one.

McKenna: 24:45

*Intro to 'Kream' by Iggy Azalea plays.*

McKenna: 24:45

Sorry, mom.