The body as spectacle in the age of fitness influencers: Ordinariness and extremity in the media

The mediatization of physical exercise and its transformation into a routine, everyday activity through digital media is one of the most striking developments in contemporary representations of the human body. In the 21st century, the pursuit of the “legitimate body” remains central, with physical exercise and media-driven self-optimization becoming key avenues for acquiring symbolic social capital. The practices of today’s fitness influencers illustrate how, in the visual culture of platforms like Instagram, the body is expected to “speak” for itself. Rather than focusing on narrative coherence or measurable achievement, content production and consumption center around curated representations that simulate presence and convey an ideal of health, desirability, and aesthetic appeal. In contrast, the growing community of amateur athletes – particularly those engaged in endurance sports and quantified self-practices via applications like Strava – cultivate what might be described as a “functional body,” emphasizing performance, discipline, and data-driven self-improvement. This study explores both the parallels and distinctions between these two modalities with the methodology of text analysis, ultimately seeking to shed light on how digital media are reshaping contemporary perceptions and cultural meanings of the human body. The analysis focuses on Central European, mostly Hungarian and Polish examples.