As a competitive athlete in high school and college, Ashliegh McIntyre thought doing extra workouts outside of practice, tracking her meals, and skipping rest days was normal. “At times, these things were even viewed by my coaches as dedication,” she says.

McIntyre began falsely equating the pursuit of a smaller, more muscular body with an ambition for better health and performance. But her commitment to the gym left her constantly injured, sick, anxious, and depressed, and ultimately led to her temporarily abandoning sports altogether. “At that point I realized that it wasn’t normal and I was actually struggling,” she says. When she was later diagnosed with an eating disorder, part of recovery for McIntyre—who is now Equip’s Senior Manager of Scheduling Operations—involved unlearning many of the gym culture norms that she’d internalized.

She’s not alone. Gym culture is often framed as motivating or community-building, and sometimes it can be—but toxic gym culture can also drive disordered exercise and eating. Read on to learn how to know when gym culture has become harmful, how you can foster a positive relationship with fitness, and what to do if you’re worried about a loved one’s gym behavior.

What is gym culture?

Gym culture is a set of behaviors, norms, and ideologies found in gyms and other fitness spaces, both in person and online. Although the cultures of some gyms can be positive, supportive, and encouraging, the unspoken rules of other gym environments can be problematic, promoting extreme, black-and-white, and inflexible mindsets.

The risks of toxic gym culture

“One of the core reasons why gym culture can be toxic is that it often associates someone’s body and fitness level to their worth,” says Equip Registered Dietitian Rui Tanimura MS, RD, CYT. Some of the unhealthy habits and attitudes that often surround gym culture include:

• Tracking workouts, weight loss, calories, and other metrics
• Adopting a “no pain, no gain” mindset, which might mean doing things like working out through injuries or illness
• Being very rigid or perfectionistic about your workout schedule and each day’s activity
• Maintaining a strict diet, or other forms of restrictive eating
• Equating health with a certain lean, muscular body type
• Forming cliques based on how you look or how strong you are

“Gym culture sends so many harmful messages,” says Kim Packebush, Senior Product Operations Manager at Equip. “It’s the idea that if you didn't track it or take a picture, it didn't count. It’s the belief that movement only ‘counts’ if it’s done at the highest intensity and made visible to an audience for approval. It’s the sense that the only thing keeping someone from going to the gym is a lack of motivation—completely ignoring factors like money, transportation, sleep, stress, and more.”

One of the most significant ways in which gym culture harms physical and mental health is through the culture of comparison. “People feel pressure to measure themselves against others and strive to attain an unrealistic standard of beauty,” says Kate Georgiadis, a certified personal trainer. She adds that gym culture tends to promote the misleading idea that every person can attain the same body type by following the same workout regimen and eating plan—a myth that feeds into the culture of comparison and leads people to feel shame and distress when they “fail.”

It’s not just aesthetics, though; there’s also functional comparison. “There are so many classes now where you see how fast you're riding a bike or going on the treadmill, and you see everyone else's stats and where you're falling during the class,” says Colleen Reichmann, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Wildflower Therapy. “It's rife for comparison—of both how our bodies look today compared to the person next to us, and also performance comparison.”

These attitudes and behaviors can have serious negative consequences on mental and physical health: Toxic fitness culture may lead to:

• Intense anxiety or obsession surrounding fitness
• Disordered eating habits that cause nutritional imbalances (for example, overconsumption of protein-rich foods)
• Neglecting other areas of life, like relationships, work, and rest time
• Body dissatisfaction and body image issues stemming from constant comparison and unrealistic standards
• Higher risk of developing an eating disorder

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The relationship between disordered eating and gym culture

There’s a well-researched connection between gym culture and disordered eating.

In a recent study, 232 gym members in Norway answered a survey that included an eating disorders screening. The results showed that nineteen percent were at risk of disordered eating, 16 percent reported having secretive eating behaviors, and 12 percent had a history of eating disorders.

Research also shows that while fitness instructors may notice unhealthy behaviors in gym members, they often don’t know what to do. In a 2020 study, researchers in Switzerland surveyed 99 gym employees. Three out of four said they had suspected a client of having an eating disorder or exercising excessively. It’s estimated that up to 14 percent of people who exercise experience exercise addiction, or a drive to work out that feels out of control, and about half of the people with this harmful behavior also have disordered eating habits.

Gym employees aren’t immune to these pressures either. In a survey of 685 trainers published in 2015, 22 percent of male and 59 percent of female fitness instructors were classified as having disordered eating. And 9 percent may have compulsive exercise behaviors, according to a 2021 study.

The study authors of the survey in Norway note how marketing strategies and exercise concepts at gyms tend to focus on appearance and body weight, which may contribute to these risks, and highlights the fact that gym culture and diet culture so often go hand in hand. On its surface, gym culture may be about getting “strong” or achieving certain fitness goals, but underneath, it’s usually rooted in a desire to be thinner or “leaner”—so dieting is an almost inescapable counterpart. Dieting, in turn, can be a very slippery slope into disordered eating because diets are a form of restrictive eating, which is also the root of most eating disorders. This is why gym culture is often associated with "anorexia athletica,” or a pursuit of thinness in athletes.

Additionally, using diet and fitness apps—another common part of gym culture—is associated with disordered eating, body image concerns, and compulsive exercise, particularly for those who frequently use the apps.

There’s also growing misinformation about food and nutrition on social media. Many fitness influencers share meal plans and nutrition tips that aren’t informed by a background in nutrition and dietetics, and often make sweeping generalizations that can encourage people to go against their own body’s signals and needs (the opposite of intuitive eating).

How to find a healthy relationship with fitness

Gym culture probably isn’t going anywhere, but with the right information, you can avoid its most toxic elements and find a way to incorporate fitness into your life in a way that’s truly healthy.

If you’re seeking alternatives to traditional gym culture or trying to re-introduce movement after struggling with an eating disorder, consider these tips.

1. Look for a focus on holistic well-being

As a fitness professional who has experienced toxic gym culture, Georgiadis encourages finding a coach invested in well-being rather than in fitting certain body ideals at any cost. “I believe that true health comes from being fully and authentically yourself,” she says. “Developing a positive relationship with your body and a deeper understanding of yourself can help you feel more confident and present in all areas of your life, including your relationships and work.” Finding a trainer, instructor, or even influencer who shares these same values can go a long way toward helping you build a healthier relationship with exercise.

2. Look for a gym that values body diversity over “weight loss”

If you or a loved one is going to re-enter a gym or workout space after recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating, take stock of the environment and be honest with yourself about risks. “Pay attention to the people who frequent the gym. This speaks volumes about the owner's approach to movement and food,” Packebush says. “Does that gym ever post before and after pictures of their clients? Do they provide nutritional advice? Do they care more about filling their classes than ensuring their clients are well-rested, fed, and in the right mindset? Find a gym with people of all body types, not just someone's idea of an ‘after’ or a ‘before’ on their way to an ‘after.’”

3. Find a type of workout that works for you

For some people, switching up the fitness modality they focus on may help shift their mindset away from potential triggers. “Strive for joy and fun,” Reichmann recommends. “See if you can find a space that incorporates intuitive movement.”

Yoga studios that have weight-neutral, trauma-informed practices can be especially helpful for those in eating disorder recovery. “Eating disorders are psychological conditions that can create a separation between mind and body. Yoga can help people feel safe and grounded enough to reveal their innermost needs,” Tanimura says. “It can also teach us to surrender instead of giving into anxiety and fear-ridden thoughts.” Yoga can be especially beneficial for those in recovery.

Of course, yoga isn’t the only type of exercise that can be nourishing and health-promoting. It’s less about the type of exercise and more about the mindset behind it and how it makes you feel. Experiment with different formats and types of movement to find what is best for you.

4. Take an honest look at your fitness circle, on- and offline

“Surround yourself with people who care more about how you are truly doing rather than the size or shape of your body, how much you can lift, or how fast you can run,” McIntyre says. “Be wary of fitness influencers who shame other body types, idealize a specific one, and don’t share their education and credentials readily. And don’t be afraid to use the block button and eliminate the possibility of specific accounts appearing in your social media feeds.”

What to do if you’re worried about a loved one’s gym behavior

If you're worried that your loved one's relationship with the gym signals a bigger issue or possibly an eating disorder, don’t ignore it. Reichmann advises approaching the conversation in a curious and non-accusatory way, using “I” statements to describe what you’ve noticed. For example, “I see that you’ve been spending more than an hour at the gym every day, even when you are sick. I’m really worried.” Then let them talk.

You could also share this article and similar ones with them, saying something like, “I was reading about gym culture and thought of you. What do you think about it?” Lastly, you can suggest that they see a therapist.

“It can feel scary—a lot of people shut down this type of conversation, especially the first time you try to talk to them,” Reichmann says. “So be compassionate, but sturdy, understanding that they may not be receptive.” If they aren’t, don’t give up. Although you can’t control someone else’s behavior, you can bring up the conversation at another time when you are both relaxed (not when your loved one just finished a workout or is on their way to one).

If you’re still uncertain what to do, McIntyre recommends seeking out the advice of a specialist, who can provide individualized advice. Above all, make sure your loved one knows that you are open to talking about this anytime. They could surprise you and bring up the topic in the future.

How fitness professionals can help improve gym culture

People who work in the fitness industry can tailor gym environments and their social media presences to avoid promoting disordered behaviors and mentalities. Here are some examples of steps fitness professionals can take to build a better future for gym culture:

• Educate staff about eating disorders and what to do if they suspect a client is at risk
• Refrain from making nutritional suggestions. Have credentialed resources on hand for clients requesting nutritional advice
• Shift the focus from appearance and weight loss to overall well-being and the benefits of movement
• Feature body diversity in your advertising, staffing, and social media presence
• Foster an environment that encourages rest, modifications, and safety rather than a “no pain, no gain” mentality
• Offer workshops dedicated to providing body image and mental health tools

What to remember about gym culture and your health

Although gym culture is simply the values and actions found in a fitness center or related spaces—such as social media accounts of fitness instructors—the messages it sends can significantly impact your mental and physical health.

The motivation behind your workout can tell you whether you’ve fallen into a toxic gym culture mentality. If your workout is centered around true health, inside and out, no worries. But if you exercise to look a certain way, burn a certain number of calories, or always push yourself to go harder or be “better” in some way, it’s a red flag. Take some time to step back and reevaluate the role exercise plays in your life.

Similarly, if your eating behaviors are tied up with your workouts—for example, you feel the need to exercise to “make up for” something you ate or you’ve adopted a new diet regimen at the advice of a trainer—toxic fitness culture may have gotten a hold of you.

In either case, finding support can help. You may have a friend who can suggest a new fitness center, trainers, or social media accounts to follow that foster a positive relationship with your body, exercise, and eating. Or you may benefit from working with a health at every size (HAES)-informed therapist.

Remember, movement should feel like a nourishing and energizing choice, not a punishing and exhausting requirement. This can be especially important to keep in mind when recovering from an eating disorder.

If you or a loved one are worried about your gym-going behaviors and think an eating disorder may be the root cause, schedule a call with an Equip team member to talk through your concerns. Calls are brief, free, and no-commitment.

FAQ

1. What is gym culture and how can it influence eating disorders?

Gym culture is a set of behaviors, ideologies, and norms that shape gyms and other fitness spaces. Gym culture often promotes excessive and ultimately unhealthy habits and attitudes, such as pushing yourself past your body’s limits, equating health with weight loss, restricting your diet, or exercising to “make up” for meals. Many of these behaviors have the potential to lead to an eating disorder.

2. How does social media impact gym culture and related eating disorders?

Social media is one of the main ways gym culture is defined and spread in our society. Some examples of gym culture on social media are before-and-after photos, “what I eat in a day” videos, and unlicensed nutritional advice. These types of posts can normalize disordered behaviors, spread misinformation, and promote unattainable appearance ideals. All of this can be triggering for followers who are susceptible to eating disorders.

3. In what ways can gym trainers and environments contribute to disordered eating?

Some gym trainers and environments are harmful and could contribute to disordered eating in the way they praise weight loss and instruct clients to restrict their diets. Nutrition is highly individualized, and one-size-fits-all diets that involve strict rules can quickly slip into disordered eating behaviors. These kinds of actions and advice also send the harmful message that you have to look a certain way in order to be healthy.

4. What are some signs that gym culture is affecting someone's mental health?

There are many ways to determine if gym culture is affecting mental health or leading to an eating disorder. Some common signs include mood changes, working out very frequently or with a rigid schedule (even when sick or injured), expressing shame about one’s body, and anxiety or inflexibility around food.