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Lift… snap… lift… snap… Gym seflies are part of our workouts

Type in #gymselfie or #gym on any social media site, and there they are: selfies of men and women with pulled up shirts, showing abs, short shorts, toned legs and sweaty selfies that show they work out really hard.

Gym selfies have become so popular that you can’t scroll through your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feed without coming across one.

Florida Gulf Coast University student Jaimie Welch said there are two main reasons for taking selfies: to check progress and boost self esteem. She also admits she takes selfies on a regular basis.

“If you feel like you look stronger or that you have lost weight, you want to get that moment in a photo,” she said. “And getting responses from people is a great confidence boost and helps keep some people motivated to do well,”

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Our generation is starting to realize the importance of health and that physical activity must be part of our routine to lead a healthy lifestyle. That being said, having a gym membership is a must, but you also should go and not just pay the fee month after month.

“Pictures or it didn’t happen,” is a common statement friends tend to tease each other with when someone does something cool or meets someone. Gym selfies are no different. With them, we can prove that, yes, we did go to the gym, and we are working hard on getting better and fitter.

FGCU student Alex Feliciano said that selfies are part of our generation, and we tend to take them just out of habit to tell the world what we are up to and possibly get some good feedback in return.

“It’s to tell everyone, hey, I worked out today, now give me some praise,” he said. “And we have all been the culprit of it.”

However, gym selfies aren’t always about bragging about our gains. Some people take selfies after the gym to track progress they are making over time.

The concept of body re-composition — losing fat while building lean muscle — doesn’t necessarily show on the scale. It’s easier to measure the changes through inches and just look at your body getting more toned and lean. Selfies can work as an aid to see how your body transforms.

Whether you want to show off your getting-in-shape journey or just feel good in your skin, gym selfies are trending just as much as going to the gym. It has become evidence to prove that you work out. And why would you keep it to yourself when you can share it with the world?

Garren Rimondi, FGCU alumnus, said people seem to want to be recognized for working hard, no matter what the circumstances may be. Being a local fitness and health coach, he leads a healthy lifestyle and enjoys providing fitness motivation for others; however, he doesn’t really take selfies in or out of the gym and said that other people usually take photographs of him.

“Taking gym selfies could hinder the intensity of the workout, which in return can cause the workout to be less efficient,” he said.

Seeing people taking selfies in the gym is a daily occurrence, but whenever you decide to whip out your phone to snap a selfie of you and your muscles, be aware and considerate of your surroundings.

Welch often takes selfies after and even during her workouts because she likes seeing the progress she makes over time. However, she said she always makes sure that she is not in the way of others’ routines and hopes everybody else is just as considerate as well.

“I know I like to look at old photos I have taken in the gym and see the differences in my body,” she said. “It doesn’t bother me to see people posing for pictures in between sets. Just make sure you’re not holding other people up from their workout.”

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