5 ‘Bad’ Fitness TikTok Trends You Shouldn’t Follow

FitnessNovember 23, 2024

TikTok has become a haven for creative fitness advice. But not all trends are worth your time or your health. From questionable diet practices to misleading workout goals, bad fitness TikTok trends are flooding our feeds, and experts are urging people to rethink their choices.

Sure! These viral ideas might seem fun and easy. But they can have lasting negative effects on your physical and mental well-being. Here is a breakdown of the worst offenders and explain why you should steer clear of them.

The Myth of ‘Earning Food’ at the Gym

Bad fitness TikTok trends often start with well-meaning but misguided advice, and “earning your food” by working out is a prime example. You have likely heard someone joke about needing to “burn off” a big meal, but this mindset can be toxic.

Your body is not a bank where calories are the currency to earn or burn. It is much more complex than that.

Kurt / Pexesls / Most of the calories you burn each day come from simply staying alive. Your heart pumping, your lungs breathing, and your brain thinking.

Exercise contributes a relatively small portion. The real value of working out lies in building strength, improving mental health, and boosting your cardiovascular system. Shifting the focus to these benefits can help you create a healthier relationship with food and fitness.

Food-Restrictive Diets | Really Bad Fitness TikTok Trend

It is hard to scroll through TikTok without seeing influencers hyping up the next big diet fad. Among the most troubling bad fitness TikTok trends are food-restrictive diets like the animal-based diet or the keto craze. While the keto diet was initially developed to help with epilepsy, it is now being sold as a cure-all – which it is not.

The animal-based diet takes things even further. While it includes some plant-based foods, the focus is on meat, raw dairy, and honey. Eliminating entire food groups, like carbs, can create nutritional imbalances and deprive your body of essential vitamins and minerals.

These diets might yield quick results, but they can also lead to long-term health problems. In the end, a balanced, sustainable approach to eating always wins.

Protein Diet Coke & Other Bizarre Food Trends

One of the weirdest bad fitness TikTok trends is mixing protein powder with Diet Coke and calling it a health hack. While it is a bizarrely creative way to get your protein fix, experts say it is neither effective nor healthy. These concoctions are often promoted as quick fixes, but fitness and nutrition are rarely about shortcuts.

Master / Pexels / Protein is essential, but there are much better ways to incorporate it into your diet than these flawed TikTok trends.

So, instead of chasing these gimmicks, stick to whole foods and balanced meals. You will feel better and avoid the potential digestive nightmares these experiments can cause. Plus, who really wants to drink fizzy, chocolate-flavored soda?

Fearmongering Fitness Advice Targeting Women

TikTok has become a breeding ground for fear-based fitness advice aimed at women. This trend perpetuates the idea that women should avoid lifting weights to stay “feminine” or that cardio is the only acceptable form of exercise. It is as outdated as it is harmful.

Building muscle is crucial for women, especially as they age. It helps maintain bone density, boosts metabolism, and supports overall health. Fitness should be empowering, not something that makes you feel inadequate.

Experts are pushing for “de-influencing” these bad fitness TikTok trends, urging women to embrace strength training and reject narrow beauty standards.