Between motivation, alterity and demonstrations of results in bodies: Instagram and the strategies of fitness coaches to highlight their professional practice

ABSTRACT

This article identifies and analyzes the strategies that coaches of “fitness muses” use to highlight their professional practice on Instagram. For that, over fifteen days, the posts of seven coaches were monitored, and their images and texts were analyzed. Through strageties similar to those used by self-help segments, the coaches sought to motivate their followers to adhere and persist in the workout programs, a process that evidenced “indolence” and “laziness” as marks of alterity. The body was activated to materialize the achievements of the “perseverants” and the failure of the “negligents”, in addition to informing about the technical skills and attesting to the professional competency of these coaches.

Keywords:
Fitness culture; Instagram; Profissional practice; Body