A DORK DRIVING A SNAZZY CAR IS STILL A DORK.

Does the argument generalize to gym memberships?

For those who live far away from gyms or public health centers, social media brings the workout to the user. Information on healthy eating is also available through online platforms and can be influenced by supportive social groups.

However, the effectiveness of social media hinges on users and the content they watch. According to the study, social media is an effective support tool when encouragement is given along with information and proper material aids.

That’s where fitness influencers lose credibility.

Looking at the Instagram tag for “fitness,” there are millions of posts of extremely fit people, paired with captions like “keep your eye on the prize,” and telling their followers not to give up before they see the results they want.

Posting selfies of their ultra-fit bodies, then telling followers not to give up until they, too, are ultra-fit, creates a disconnect between what is being said and what users should do. Instead of being encouraging, it’s a comparison between the user and the influencer.

Fitness influencers are not health professionals. If you’re looking to get fit, it’s best to seek advice from a health professional, not an influencer trying to sell a workout program.

The article sails under the heading of "gym culture's toxicity."  The narcissists we have always had among us.  Whether they attempt to draw attention to themselves by their sports cars or their musculature or their professions of faith is irrelevant.  It's the absence of bourgeois norms, including the shunning of loud and obnoxious people, that enables the status displays that draw the tag of "toxic."