Fitness trainer warns of danger in social media influencers
Melbourne’s personal trainer to the stars Donna Aston has called on women to stop seeking a quick fix to look like fitspo models they see on Instagram, saying what they see is “smoke and mirrors”.
Fiona Byrne
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Melbourne’s personal trainer to the stars Donna Aston has labelled as dangerous the trend of women and men undergoing surgery to mimic the unnatural figures of doll-like instagram influencers who dole out questionable homespun wisdom.
Aston — a qualified fitness professional and nutritionist with almost 30 years experience — said people should avoid seeking a quick fix to look like fitspo types who are handy with Instagram filters, and should not be seduced by their advice.
“To aspire to something that is essentially smoke and mirrors, I think is really dangerous,” Aston said.
“There are girls having backside implants and all sorts of things. Everybody wants to have a Kim Kardashian-type of bottom and a tiny little waist.
“Women are having ribs removed to make their waist look smaller and you have ribs for a reason, to protect your organs.
“Many of these photos that they are being influenced by have been photoshopped to make them (the Insta star) look like a doll and then we are going and actually physically doing these changes through surgery. That is the scary part. The medical oath is to do no harm and I think it starts to push the boundaries of that oath.”
Aston said changes to body shape were achievable through diet and exercise and that was a far better choice than influencer-inspired surgery. She said the COVID-19 lockdown was a good time to start a healthy body overhaul.
“I can make you look good naked,” South Yarra-based Aston, who founded the Aston Rx program, said.
“It is all about changing your body composition. It is not about just losing weight or being a number on the scale. Once you have more muscle and less body fat, not only are you healthier but your body shape improves significantly and your symmetry and proportion improves.”
Aston said she was a “bulls..t buster” when it came to fitness. “Ever since I released my first book my goal has been to bust myths so people are not seduced by stupid fad diets and ill-informed advice,” she said.
“There is science behind everything I advocate. I am not somebody who is naturally slim. I am not somebody who photoshops my photos to look good on Instagram. I am real and I work with real people every day and I get results.”