Iovate: #Hashtags Helping Women Get Into Weightlifting

When it comes to fitness, supplement manufacturers like Iovate understand the challenges women face. It seems like everyone is being bombarded with images of super-buff men and shapely women across all advertising platforms. But rather than letting these images discourage them, many people are fighting back. And they’re taking their fitness challenges and accomplishments to the Internet in the form of social media. One of the greatest results of this more public approach to fitness through social media is how it has opened up the fitness world. This holds especially true for women and fitness. As more women are inspired by social media posts, it improves their understanding of both the gym lifestyle and healthier living. And it’s bringing many women into the weight room – a place they may not have ventured to otherwise. How Social Media Brings Fitness Help A recent article on the Pivot social media conference brings to light how just a few small trends in social media have come together to make a big difference for women. The Director of Research and Analytics at Visible Technologies presented an interesting discussion on the rise of social media for inspiration, motivation and information – particularly when it comes to female athletes in the gym. The research identified the primary social media trend of Fitspiration, or #Fitspo in its trending hashtag form. As described, “During analysis, a hashtag popped up repeatedly: #Fitspo. Fitspo (or Fitspiration) is a term used to describe something that inspires people to be fit, and is often used as a hashtag in social media. Individual pages (often blogs) that are dedicated to Fitspo frequently incorporate pictures, testimonials, recipes or exercise/meal plans to help people get in shape.” Supplement manufacturers like Iovate are delighted to see how social media is helping women in the gym. Even something as subtle as a few hashtags can help women overcome the fear that’s associated with the weights. “Social media is a big part of everyone's life and business these days,” a spokesperson from Iovate says. “The fact that so many women are drawing inspiration from these social outlets is great to see. We're happy that people are finding the motivation they need to better their bodies and their lives." The Fitspo revolution has resonated particularly on Instagram, where users of all ages and fitness levels congregate to show their stuff. As written in USA Today in a recent special report, the revolution has made some Internet celebrities out of top posters. But most of the amateurs and users report that they post their images on the site to help motivate others – not just to show off. The article mentions a 28-year-old woman who found the motivation she needed for significant weight loss. “I looked at Fitspo every night before bed and every morning when I was getting in shape. It was a very big part of my regimen. It kept me going.” And she isn’t alone. In fact, Fitspo is helping to bring women into that spot in the gym they typically avoid – the weight room. Getting Women Into Lifting Supplement companies like Iovate say that getting more women over the fear and anxiety of lifting weights is great for their health. But despite the benefits of Fitspo and other trending fitness on social media, a great deal of misinformation is still out there. And despite the continual clarifications from Iovate and other manufacturers, the misinformation persists. Nerd Fitness clarified several of these myths in a recent post. Here are two of the most resonating ones: Myth: Lifting Weights Makes Women Bulky This is by far the most common and persistent myth related to women and strength training. Female fitness models are often to blame for propagating this myth. Women see big, bulky fit women on the covers of magazines. It’s not hard to see why they’re afraid strength training will do the same thing to their bodies. The truth is that weightlifting isn’t going to make a woman ‘bulk up’ in the same way these models do. Instead, it will help a woman get in shape while looking and feeling better. As Nerd Fitness noted, “You know those women bodybuilders who look really bulky? They eat, train, and take supplements specifically so they can look like that! …Here’s the truth: when you pick up heavy things, your muscles get stronger (but not necessarily bigger).” Myth: Cardio is the Only Way to Lose Fat Another lingering rumor is the link classifying cardio like running or elliptical training as the only way to lose body fat. But the truth here is the same when it comes to weight training. Women can definitely lose weight through a strength training workout instead of only doing cardio. The secret, according to industry experts, is to simply eat at a caloric deficit while training. Strength training won’t necessarily make women bulky. Instead, it will help them get the ‘toned’ look that they are hoping to achieve. While cardiovascular exercise is essential to a fitness plan, it’s certainly not the only way to get fit. Hop on the Weights and Get Started From hashtags on Instagram to clarifying myths, women of many shapes and sizes are finding out the benefits of weight training. As far as supplement companies like Iovate see it, this positive trend is helping the country move toward a better overall state of fitness.

Social Pro Daily

Iovate: #Hashtags Helping Women Get Into Weightlifting

Sponsored Post

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Sponsored Post