Why You Need to Stop Hating On the 'Healthfie'

By Juno Demelo

The one time I Instagrammed my husband at CrossFit, he got nothing but a strong-arm emoji. All I could think was I’d rather do 100 burpees than ever upload a picture of myself in the same position. Maybe it’s all the ‘We get it; you have zero body fat’ comments on workout posts by the likes of Miranda Kerr, Lea Michele, and basically every female celeb who’s hashtagged a healthfie. Women don’t always support one another when Spandex is involved, and I don’t want to seem like I’m healthier-than-thou. But what’s so wrong about showing off your hard work? There’s a double standard for men and women, says Pamela Rutledge, PhD, Director of the Media
Psychology Research Center in California. When former schlub Chris Pratt took a shirtless selfie, people praised him for giving up six-packs to sculpt one. “But when Rihanna does it, she gets labelled a word I’d rather not
use,” says Pamela. “Yet selfies let you take charge of your image. And if they depict you doing something you’re proud of, they can be really self-motivating.”

That something doesn’t have to be rock-hard abs. A healthfie from Lena Dunham captioned “[Exercise] has helped with my anxiety... It ain’t about the *ss, it’s about the brain” garnered more than 100,000 Likes. “One of
the most effective ways to make behavioural changes is to keep track of your progress. Healthfies are an instant way to log a huge amount of info compared to just writing ‘Awesome workout’ in a journal,” Pamela says. And if you’re looking to lose weight, digital high-fives and accountability can help. Social networking—including online challenges and message boards—is a key component of Weight Watchers, which was recently named the best weight loss plan by the US News & World Report.

On the flip side, if you find yourself hating how great someone’s perky butt looks in her gym shorts that are basically bikini bottoms, you can always unfollow her—and anyone else who makes you feel discouraged instead of inspired. This means that my friend whose gorgeous #AsSeenOnMyRun shots compel me to lace up my sneakers can stay. But my ex co-worker who posts “delicious cookie-dough bites” (c’mon, they’re dates rolled in shredded coconut!)? Not so much.

Which is not to say that I think delusional dessert girl—or any of us—should stop posting out of concern that people will think we’re full of ourselves. After all, men seem to have no shame about chronicling how much
weight they’ve bench-pressed. Just remember that our real friends want what’s best for us—a shot of my BFF doing pull-ups makes me feel proud, not inferior. Besides, when you’re the one who’s hiked the mountain, it won’t matter what anyone else thinks anyway. You’ll feel too good to care.

This article was published in July 2018 issue of Cosmopolitan India.