Cancel culture has more and more followers, perhaps because it gives a feeling of superiority, and the trend of taking photos in the gym or documenting a workout is a target.
In my mind, it translates into a tendency to spend energy on things that do not bring any advantage and a lack of clarity about what really matters – Portugal is the country in the European Union with the highest rates of sedentary lifestyle. Knowing everything this data brings, completely neglecting physical exercise should be a concern.
Ego and appearance are the fruit of the day on social media. Perfect lives too. With these cards on the table, it is up to each of us to separate what we see from reality – fortunately we still have free will to filter what we see (or want to see). When someone is criticized for exposing themselves, the focus is, ironically, more on the idea of “superfluity” than on the substance – motivating others to train.
The other day I was talking to a friend (who also works in the exercise field) about the wave of ridicule of graduates who do dances on Tiktok - and she fit perfectly into the description -, to which she replied: “I'm reaching out to people; I'm managing to change lives. That’s all that matters.”
We are so absorbed in superficially judging appearances that we neglect the genuine impact that these actions can have on people's lives and divert attention from the real problem – a sedentary lifestyle.
Physiotherapist Eduardo Merino was on “The BMS Podcast” and emphasized the idea that “emotional attitudes that do not bring advantages are not compensated”. Maybe we should rethink this.
Rita Gomes