the.com/fitness culture
where self-improvement met social media and gave birth to a religion with protein powder communion.
means the broad social ecosystem of gyms, influencers, and rituals built around exercise as identity, not just health.
from exercise-as-lifestyle traces to 1970s jogging booms and jazzercise, but exploded into culture proper once instagram gave every deadlift an audience.
global marketgym industry worth over 100 billion dollars
origin mythjack lalanne basically invented tv fitness in 1951
hashtag economyfitspo has been used over 60 million times
for instance
crossfit — turned garage workouts into a global competitive cult since 2000
peloton — sold a 4000 dollar bike as a personality upgrade
gymshark — built a billion dollar brand on influencer squats
goggins effect — david goggins made suffering itself go viral