Walking through the air-conditioned doors to the gym, students line up to enter their ID numbers to get through. Your eyes are glued to your phone, looking at hundreds of different videos from fitness influencers demonstrating workouts. There’s so many it’s overwhelming, but your eyes stay stuck. It’s your first time in the gym, you need to find some exercises, and the confidence that almost everyone else carries is starting to deplete yours.
In this new age of gym culture popularity reflected on social media, starting a workout journey can be intimidating.
Working out with friends or partners can give people a more comfortable and inviting gym experience. The fitness center allows students to exercise among each other in a communal setting and allows them to play and compete against one another during events, like dodgeball games.
Sienna Long, a kinesiology major who has worked at the Mashouf Wellness Center for the past three years, spends a majority of her job as a belayer at the climbing wall. While belaying, Long relies on strong communication when assisting students. Long and her coworkers working the wall are conscious of making sure students are enjoying themselves while being safe.
“I definitely have noticed people get kind of nervous to [use the climbing wall] because of how many people are in the gym,” said Long. She reassures those who are anxious by telling them “it’s okay. Everyone’s kind of just doing their own thing and you’re having fun. This is a way to try something new.”
Susana Andrade and Andrea Longoria have been friends since 2021 after meeting during soccer tryouts for their high school and now look forward to playing on the women’s intramural soccer team.
“I think that the intramurals [are] also a big thing that I appreciate ’cause … it builds community,” said Longoria.
Longoria also enjoys going to the gym with friends, often tagging along with her roommate who is more experienced with working out. Having her roommate around helps Longoria with motivation and the more technical side of exercising at the gym.
“I do get gym anxiety if I do go by myself,” said Longoria. “So it’s just helpful because [my roommate] knows how to work the machines, or where to get certain appliances and stuff, and she’s like a helping hand.”

According to the National Institute of Health, the rise of fitness influencers since COVID-19 has skyrocketed. The National Library of Medicine published a study looking at 15 articles, where they examined exercise addiction. According to the study, exercise addiction had relation to traits like depression, perfectionism, or dissatisfaction with one’s physical appearance. The National Library of Medicine concluded that “[t]he interaction between mental health, exercise addiction and social media use is complex. Excessive engagement in these latter may result in negative mental health consequences despite their potential benefits.”

The uncertainty of how long the pandemic would continue acquainted people with living inside, leading to many becoming more and more active online. The National Library of Medicine states that there was about a 20% increase in worldwide social media usage compared to before COVID-19. Individuals share daily videos of their lives, including workout or fitness videos, to large masses across social media, like Instagram or TikTok, where people watch and are influenced.
Andrade’s girlfriend, Mariah Minten, also frequents the wellness center with the two friends. For Minten, working out in the gym began at the age of eight or nine and she stayed consistent while working the front desk at a crossfit gym, but now works out at the Mashouf Wellness Center.
“A lot of [gym content on social media], I think, is very misleading,” said Minten. “They promote a lot of, maybe, not completely correct ideas … I think some women who go into that are naturally thin and toned women.”
The body image standard being promoted on social media heightens comparisons and pushes unsafe weight-loss practices. “Social media provides useful and interesting health information, which reinforces the perceived value of fitness and thus enhances people’s fitness intention,” states the National Library of Medicine.
For Gary Morrison, a member of the Mashouf Wellness Center, attending the gym is more than just enjoying a workout. Morrison became an EMT over the past summer where he’s required to lift between 125 to 150 pounds. The gym helps him maintain the strength the standards require of him. Despite recently joining the wellness center in 2024, it’s been easy for Morrison to become comfortable with new people.
“I’m a very social person, so it’s definitely nice if [I] have a group of people to go with,” said Morrison. “One of my other friends, we go play badminton — we kinda mess around … [it’s] fun and something to look forward to.”