WHY YOU SHOULD BE FOLLOWING A FITSTAGRAMMER

SCROLLING THROUGH WELLNESS-THEMED INSTA PAGES COULD PROVIDE THE BOOST YOU NEED AND GREAT IDEAS ON MEAL PREP, POST-GYM SNACKS, QUICK WORKOUTS AND MORE.

The social side of wellness

Social media has given brands and businesses a space where they can share their very own curated content – which is why everybody, from foodies and models to artists and small businesses, is thriving on these platforms. And ‘fitstagrams’ are no different. A combination of ‘fitness’ and ‘Instagram’, these Insta pages are dedicated to fitness, progress, clean eating and holistic lifestyles. Expect to find pictures of delicious-looking food, beforeand-after selfies of impressively strong bodies, videos of recommended exercise routines and posts about adventurous hikes or beach trips.

And for their efforts, these ‘fitstagrammers’ are raking in deals and sponsorships. While they’re literally and figuratively flexing their muscles (after all, social media feeds generally equate to an edited, filtered highlight reel), fitstagrammers can really help motivate people to live healthier lives.

According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, if your friends are obese, you’re 57% more likely to follow in their footsteps because you begin to share the same unhealthy habits. Similarly, you’re more likely to lose weight once your friends start dropping kilos.

So if you spend almost as much time scrolling through Instagram as you do physically seeing friends, fitstagrammers can have a very positive impact on you!

HERE ARE TWO LCHF FITSTAGRAMMERS WE ADMIRE: P EARL GARAVAGLIA @ms_pearl__

336k followers Track-and-field athlete Pearl Garavaglia is known as a ‘health and fitness influencer’ on Instagram. She shares images of her incredibly strong body as well as workout routines – primarily for abs and legs – that you can do at the gym or at home. Every now and then, she posts photos of tasty-looking meals that consist mainly of protein and loads of veggies. Pearl motivates herself through other fitstagrams. ‘I get motivated to put in the work whenever I feel lazy, and I get so many ideas on how to do my meal preps, especially for the Banting diet,’ she says. ‘I created my Instagram page to motivate, influence and help others who want a healthier lifestyle for good.’

Why you should follow her

Unlike many fitstagrammers, Pearl celebrates her natural shape and curves. She’s an inspiration for curvy women who are looking to s strengthen the their bodies. We love as a strong wo woman who red redefines what it means to be fe feminine!

M ARK SISSON @marksissonprimal 54,9k followers

Mark Sisson is an American fitstagrammer and former triathlete and runner who focuses on the ‘primal’ diet: a high-protein, high-fat regime that cuts out excessive carbohydrates, grains and, of course, processed foods. Mark is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books about his diet, fitness and ideology, including The Keto Reset Diet, The Primal Kitchen and Primal Endurance. His Instagram page often features much-needed inspiration, meal ideas and adventures. He’s pretty good on the science, too.

Why you should follow him

Mark’s Instagram page reflects his ‘living awesome’ ideology. He believes that play isn’t just something kids do, it’s critical to development. And that goes for adults too – you’ll find regular posts of Mark doing stand-up paddle boarding and other fun activities such as snowboarding, which he says are important for both body and mind. Mark also recommends lots of sleep, soaking up the sun (within reason) and being in nature for its mood-enhancing abilities. For more inspiration from Mark, read his blog: www.marksdailyapple.com/blog