Faith, fitness, and who gets to tell the story of the body

In the light of Instagram ’fitfluencers’, Kirsten Rees explores how belief, culture, and power shape the messages we receive about our bodies—and how those messages are felt, questioned, and lived.

Recently the BBC Global Woman Instagram account highlighted Rhea Graham as a ‘faith fitfluencer’ to its 158k followers. It stated that Rhea is, ‘creating content around her two passions: fitness and Christianity.’ The BBC Instagram post said, ‘The link between faith and fitness dates back to the 19th century, with the emergence of ‘Muscular Christianity’, where athletics was seen as an expression of Christian values.⁣

‘Critics argue that this movement encourages people to focus on themselves and their appearance rather than on others, and that people ‘start attaching moral value and language about a universal, God-ordained definition of what “a fit body” is’, says theology lecturer Kelsey Kramer McGinnis.⁣

‘For Rhea Graham, it is clear: ‘I love the Lord, but I also love fitness. And they are not separate, but they are one and the same.’⁣

⁣Rhea launched @mellowfitness2.0 at 18, after struggling to find content for Black, Christian, female fitness fans online.⁣ I want to celebrate her for providing visible, affirming content for Black, Christian, female fitness fans online. Spaces where faith, movement, and Black woman are held together with intention and care matter. This work deserves to be named and honoured.