Impact and engagement of sport & fitness influencers: A challenge for health education media literacy

Influencers of physical activity and sport have acquired an important role in the promotion of health and well-being through digital social networks such as Instagram. The purpose of this study is to obtain a detailed view of the use that sports and physical activity influencers make of the Instagram social network, its reach and impact on the audience. This study monitored and collected data from the channels of ten Spanish Sport & Fitness influencers who projected their activity towards 6,804,930 followers on the social platform Instagram. In addition, the content of the biography and most popular publications of each influencer was analysed, considering the visual aspects, codes and digital languages. The results obtained show a commitment of the influencers to motivate and excite their audience to lead an active life, a healthy lifestyle and to perform a variety of exercises to increase their muscular strength, flexibility and cardiorespiratory resistance, among others. They also offer practical nutrition advice, performance-enhancing recommendations, and individualized training programs. All this through a style and strategies typical of digital marketing and influence to gain trust and credibility, achieve engagement and a positive impact on their audiences, even influencing the decision to purchase services and products from commercial brands. This scenario highlights the importance of media literacy for citizens towards a responsible use of the Internet and social networks, especially towards the consumption of content related to physical activity and sports, thus developing critical thinking to evaluate the information that can influence our decisions and perceptions about health and physical well-being.