DUBAI // Whether advising women to continue with rigorous exercise while pregnant, exaggerating the benefits of a 20-minute weekly workout or encouraging people into hazardous situations, fitness enthusiasts are being bombarded with confusing, misleading and, at times, even dangerous information on social media.
Doctors, physiotherapists and sports experts have expressed concern at the contradictory and scientifically unsupported advice being provided online.
Last month, The National reported on nutritional guidance available on social media, much of it offered by unqualified people.
Ian Houghton, a doctor of naprapathy, a blend of chiropractics and physiotherapy, said fitness professionals and therapists needed to be more responsible, citing the example of a UAE-based trainer who in an online post said it was OK to work out as usual when pregnant.
“There’s nothing wrong with doing things like squats or pull-ups during pregnancy but it could be harmful for some. Trainers and therapists often fail to explain and discuss context enough.”
He said physical therapists were often guilty of misinformation and scaremongering.
“This is even more of a problem because they are much higher up the authority hierarchy so are much less likely to get questioned.”
Dr Shereen Habib, a GP and women’s health specialist, said online healthcare practitioners often gave advice that was “not scientifically quantifiable”.
Dr Habib explained how one social media post stated sugar was not addictive despite a raft of scientific knowledge to the contrary.
“The business with sugar doesn’t distinguish processed added sugar – which we all know is bad – from natural sugars, which are fine as part of a balanced diet in the form of fruit et cetera.
“What it boils down to is that people should be able to quote scientific, published studies that back their claims”
Stephane Vigroux, co-founder of Parkour DXB, said that aside from following questionable nutrition tips,,online videos could encourage people to get themselves into dangerous situations.
“A big part of my work is about educating people who want to try to experience parkour as a holistic discipline, promoting physical and mental growth.
“The challenge is that parkour and free-running [as seen] on social media is very extreme.”
Dangerous stunts, he said, spread the wrong impression about what could otherwise be a hugely beneficial practice.
“I came across an Instagram account using the hashtag #nofear. The content was a young man hanging by one arm from the top of cranes, standing on top of buildings, fooling around at height.
“There is an enormous difference between truly training parkour, and simply engaging in risky stunts. Big physical challenges, such as jumps, should always be the fruit of some work, reflection and intense preparation. It is done with a sensible approach often following a process and progression, otherwise it could lead to people doing things they’re not ready for and hurting themselves.”
Former international gymnast and coach Cristian Brezeanu said people were too often fooled into following fitness regimes or buying products that are simply too good to be true.
He gave an example of “electric muscle stimulation training” and the claim it can save time and give its user a workout in just 20 minutes, twice a week.
“It gives people a false sense of fitness. What about cardiovascular work? Easy and fit don’t necessarily go in the same sentence. You have to get out of your comfort zone to be fit and that’s not easy.”
mswan@thenational.ae
