"To be a personal trainer, you have to look like 4% body fat": How online personal trainers negotiate social media and body image.

The online personal training industry is continuing to increase in popularity. Sociocultural pressures for personal trainers to maintain a certain physique to be deemed credible and marketable to consumers are well-documented, however no studies have qualitatively explored this in online personal trainers. Whilst previous research has highlighted that consuming certain types of fitness content may negatively impact body image, there is a paucity of research exploring the relationship between content creators and body image. This study aimed to examine how online trainers navigate social media as a digital workplace and their perceptions of its influence on their body image. 17 online coaches (Mage = 33.5; S.D. = 7.4 years), 58.8% female, participated in semi-structured interviews in which they discussed social media, body image and self-selected online content. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Overall, trainers viewed maintaining a social media presence as non-negotiable for business. However, participants also experienced pressure to uphold unrealistic standards online, including showcasing a lean physique and presenting an image of authenticity online whilst concealing body image struggles from consumers. Whilst some trainers rejected these industry standards, other trainers leveraged these norms by utilising their physique to gain traction on social media and enhance perceived desirability and competence to consumers. Findings contribute to improved understanding of appearance-pressures and highlight the need for greater education and support around body image within the online fitness industry.