4 minute read
Gym Culture
Toxic training
Students experience popularization gym culture
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Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org
Going to the gym can promote many improvements, such as losing weight and improving mental health. However, toxic gym culture has recently become a prominent problem and prevents participants from acquiring many of the bene ts. A main part of gym culture is occasionally comparing yourself, or others, to unrealistic body and physical standards. According to a study conducted by Cambridge, gym motivation includes body shaming and dismissing other forms of exercise. “Don’t worry about what other people are li ing,” senior Michael Schnurr, who is a sprinter, said. “It’s not about how much you li in total, it’s about what you can do and get yourself better.” Gym culture can also have its gains and disadvantages. Ensuring health and safety should be the top priority, according to Cambridge. Otherwise, exercising will not end up helping at all, and it will worsen mental health. “ e most important part of going to the gym is self-care,’’ JV soccer coach and health psychologist Allison Rodgers said. “I view my exercise routine as a gi I can give myself to improve my health and celebrate what my body can do.” Recently, gym culture has been popularized. is is mostly due to the fact that people had time to kill during quarantine and saw it as an opportunity to improve their physical and mental health. “I think there’s been a cultural shi toward recognizing di erent forms of beauty,” Rodgers said. “For example, it’s become more socially acceptable for women to have strong bodies.” According to a review published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, going to the gym can improve the immune system. Exercising for an hour can enhance immune cells that helps defend the body against pathogens. “Physical activity is important for our bodies and minds,” Rodgers said. “Physical activity can improve cardiovascular health, exibility, range of motion, agility, strength, endurance and athletic functionality.” e International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) states that going to the gym can provide social support and a sense of
camaraderie. is can improve social health while also adding encouragement to continue exercising. “ ere’s other people [at the gym], and it pushes me to not stop in the middle of the set,” sophomore track runner Alexis Burke said. Improvements on emotional response to issues or mishaps can be a result from spending time in the gym. In a survey conducted by Frontiers of America, 43% of people said exercise helps manage stress and 62% of the participants found improvements in their mental health through exercising. “ e most important part about being in the gym, to me, is to get out some of my frustrations that I have,” Schnurr said. “Not everyone is perfect, and we all have a little bit of anger inside ourselves in it. And [going to the gym] lets us get that out in a good way.” Even with all the bene ts gym culture provides, the environment can prove to be very toxic. Social media has created highly unrealistic beauty and weight standards which makes it hard for gym participants to reach an attainable goal. “I think there’s a misconception among women ‘bulky’ or that women can only do high reps with low weights,” Rodgers said. “It’s my belief that any person can li any amount they feel comfortable with.” ere are also countless contradictions about what exercises are good, what should be avoided and how long someone should exercise for. is leaves participants confused and o en causes them to do unhelpful exercises or burn themselves out. “Be consistent; it’s okay to fail,” Burke said. “Drop a weight just to make sure that you’re being safe about how you’re li ing. Don’t jump right into super hyper stu .” While Burke views utilizing the gym as a bene t, she also emphasizes to ensure safety both physically and mentally. “Just be smart about [going to the gym],” Burke said. “Don’t push yourself too hard. If you do, you can end up really badly hurt. And that’s only going to make it harder to work out and keep your mental health where you want it to be.”
that weightli ing will make you Participants train in the weight room to improve their performance in sports. Photo by Emerson. Design by Malak Samara.