“Stop Falling for the Same Trap”: Arnold Schwarzenegger Rages Against Mindless Fitness Fads Fooling People on the Internet

Arnold Schwarzenegger has brought to attention the dark side of fitness on social media. As people are becoming more and more receptive to information being shared on the internet, influencers also prioritize trends over actual information dealing with health or fitness.

The 77-year-old bodybuilder who still tries his best to give out accurate fitness guidance and health-related tips has now looked to make a distinction between the fitness fads ruling the internet. As Schwarzenegger tries to break past such wrong information, he also explains what people should do to avoid these.

Schwarzenegger thinks it is the demand that is driving such misinformation

Schwarzenegger mentioned in the latest issue of his Newsletter, that in the past couple of weeks, posts on social media have claimed various things like “Seed oils will kill you,” “Only vegan diets help longevity,” “Bread is the cause of obesity,” “Aging is a disease,” “Fasting is needed for healthy blood sugar,” “Sugar is toxic,” “Non-organic foods are killing you,” and so on. Dismissing all of them as being inaccurate, Arnold Schwarzenegger claimed that such information circulates on the internet because people seek it.

Arnold Schwarzenegger explained that people are more drawn to controversial topics, which enables creators to produce those in bulk. “Your brain is likely to skip over information that feels like common sense and hunt for novel, extreme approaches that you’re convinced are more likely to lead to the desired outcome,” he explained.

Furthermore, Schwarzenegger did not just leave it at that. He also suggested a possible remedy to avoid consuming such misinformation on the internet.

Arnold Schwarzenegger asks people to change the way they think

Arnold Schwarzenegger noted that the content being circulated over the internet was mostly to seek likes and comments. To step beyond such content, he had a suggestion as well. “If you want to stop falling for the same trap, ask if the information you’re consuming is designed to create fear and sell novelty,” he said. He also noted that one should change the way they think to succeed. “The antidote to wellness starts with shifting what you think it takes to succeed. Behavioral change — the foundation of improving your health (or any skill) — is rooted in a simple concept: make it hard to fail,” he explained.

Schwarzenegger also commented that by eradicating the goal of the extreme, one was likely to succeed more. According to him, “You’ll experience better results by avoiding the allure of the extreme. Your best bet is to spend more energy focusing on big-picture questions and less on approaches that make you stress every little decision.”

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Given how dependent people are on the internet for their fitness and health advice, do you think Schwarzenegger’s tips will do them good? Let us know in the comments below.

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