Women’s Fitness: Instagram vs Reality with Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi

Over 500 million people follow the #fitness hashtag on Instagram — but behind the workout videos, transformation posts, and motivational reels, what’s it really like to be a fitness influencer?In this episode of Well Enough, Emilie Lavinia is joined by two leading voices in online fitness: Alice Liveing and Shakira Akabusi.Alice Liveing has half a million followers on Instagram and shares positive advice on staying fit, in a sustainable way. But that wasn’t always the case. She began her online career as ‘Clean Eating Alice’ - an approach to nutrition which ultimately caused an eating disorder and even affected her menstrual cycle. Today, she opens up on what that lifestyle was like, sharing tips from her brand new book. Shakira - AKA Strong Like Mum - has fitness in her veins. You’ll know her as a resident fitness expert on ITV’S Lorraine.More from Well Enough: Follow Well Enough on Instagram hereFollow Emilie on Instagram here Subscribe to the Well Enough newsletter hereTimecodes00:00 Introduction02:45 Why Lifting Weights Is Empowering For Women04:00 "Influencer" vs Personal Trainer06:50 The "Thinness" Trap & Misinformation12:55 Best Self vs Thinnest Self14:25 Performance Goals over Aesthetics16:30 The Ozempic Era18:30 Why We Hated PE at School23:00 The Dangers of Viral Challenges25:25 "Boring" Basics - Exercises That Work Best27:30 Pros & Cons of Online Fitness Access29:40 Gen Z, Longevity & Aesthetics34:35 New Era of Female Sports Role Models38:55 Cleaning Up Your Social Feed40:05 Guide: Starting Fitness in Perimenopause40:55 What is Progressive Overload?42:15 Why Posture is Critical44:55 Tips for Gym Anxiety48:50 Wellness Non-NegotiablesMore from today’s guests:Alice’s new book ‘Give Me Strength’ Follow Shakira’s ‘Strong Like Mum’ Instagram  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.