Fitspiration Through Social Media Reels

This chapter provided a comparative analysis of fitspiration content on Instagram reels from Malaysia and India, using Aristotle's Classical Rhetoric (ethos, pathos, logos) as the framework. Through qualitative content analysis of selected reels and user comments, the study investigated how fitness influencers in these culturally distinct societies constructed credibility (ethos), evoked emotion (pathos), and presented logical arguments (logos) to persuade their audiences. The analysis revealed how these appeals were tailored to reflect unique cultural values, gender expectations, and body ideals. For instance, ethos was based on professional credibility, pathos on inspirational storytelling, and logos on health facts. Analyzing audience comments revealed how viewers interpreted and responded. This work contributes to decentralizing media research by focusing on non-Western contexts, extending literature on body image, social media influence, and fitness communication with cultural and comparative insights.