The Duchess of Sussex has proved once again that she’s the most relatable royal in the game.
In a visit to a cafe in Wellington, New Zealand, as part of her 16-day tour of the South Pacific, Meganspoke out about the negative affects that apps like Instagram can have on your mental health – particularly when it comes to the unrealistic body standards influencers can set.
"Young people find it so difficult," she said. "You see photos on social media and you don’t know whether she’s born with it or maybe it’s a filter.
"Your judgement of your sense of self-worth becomes really skewed when it’s all based on likes."
Thanks to filters and stock images, we all know it’s easier than ever to curate the ‘perfect’ virtual self, and this seems to be especially true when it comes to the world of fitness.
While a healthy dose of #fitspo might give you the motivation you need to hit an early morning gym session, endlessly scrolling through other people’s perfectly chiselled bodies can also have a pretty negative impact on your self-esteem – especially on those days where you’re struggling to feel good about yourself.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to inject your feed with a bit of realism, to balance out all those ab-tastic gym posts.
Here, we’ve rounded up a bunch of fitness stars that tell it exactly as it is when it comes to their imperfections, their struggles with body image and their mental health. Following fingers at the ready…
1. Jessamyn Stanley
Plus-size yoga teacher Stanley has worked hard to dispel the myth that you have to be a certain size, ethnicity or age to absolutely kill it on a yoga mat. Confident, strong and full of self-love, the 30-year-old uses her account to speak openly about why the practice is (and should be) for everybody.
2. Carly Rowena
British personal trainer Carly Rowena announced to her fans that she was pregnant earlier in the year, and since then, has been an ambassador for bump-shy mums everywhere. She proves that you can totally wear a sports bra when you’re in your third trimester, and still look amazing at the same time.
3. Dana Falsetti
Another body-positive yogi, Falsetti is a passionate advocate for change when it comes to the types of bodies we see time and time again on fitness advertising. From stretch marks to rolls, nothing is hidden or airbrushed away from her followers.
4. Kelly Cartwright
Paralympic sprinter Kelly Cartwright had her right leg amputated when she was 15, after being diagnosed with a form of cancer called synovial sarcoma. Since then, she’s proved that with adversity comes strength, having represented her native Australia in two paralympic games.
5. Beck Lomas
In a world of airbrushed Instagrammers, this fitness guru reminds her followers to take everything they see online with a pinch of salt, showing her struggles with acne and sharing a healthy dose of side-by-side ‘Instagram vs reality’ pictures.
