'I'm just over it': The social media fitness trend Joe Wicks can't get on board with

There's one fitness trend Joe Wicks isn't getting on board with.

The man known as The Body Coach made headlines – and caused some raised eyebrows – for finishing the London Marathon earlier this year in six hours.

In an era where people share their running times on social media like it's a competition, his move was a revelation.

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But the fitness guru says he's "over it" and wants to "celebrate a slow plod".

"There's a trend of people obsessively sharing their running times and making it like, 'If you're not running a three-hour marathon, you're a loser' and so I'm actually really promoting this slow-running and just going out for plod," Wicks tells 9honey at SXSW London.

"I ran the marathon this year in six hours and people like, 'Why are you running in six hours? You're The Body Coach, you should run it much faster.

"I said, 'Yeah, I can run a fast marathon, but I hate it, it's not enjoyable. I can't stop and have selfies and wave at people'.

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"The whole thing that day was about me just cheering other people on and because of that, it took me six hours.

"If I wanted to run fast and hurt my body and really hate it, I could have ran a three-hour marathon, I really think I could at some point."

"But I'm just over it, I'm like, 'Just celebrate a slow plod' and it's fine. It's good for you as well, and it's just as beneficial for your mind as well."

Wicks gained prominence across the globe for his online workouts during COVID-19, which got millions of people across the UK moving during lockdowns.

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His efforts earned him an MBE and he calls PE with Joe one of his biggest and "proudest" achievements, even if he didn't realise it at the time.

"I just thought I was just doing a workout for a few people, I didn't realise it was going to be such a thing," he laughs.

Now, he's shifting focus a little and getting people and companies to realise the effects of the new work-from-home culture.

"I think it's so prevalent that people are struggling with stress and inactivity and not eating well. So I'm trying to rally the troops, if you like, and just get companies, organisations to think about it and really implement practical things," Wicks says.

"I think people had that moment [during COVID-19 lockdowns] to really prioritise their health, and they had the little workout with me or they could do a workout in their home gym or something.

"Then I think going back to work and the pressures of modern life, and obviously stress with kids and trying to be a mum and a dad and get to work and stuff, people often neglect exercise. It's the first thing that gets cut, then it's diet and then it's sleep.

"So people need to hear the message and need to be inspired to believe they have time, believe they can cook healthy food, believe they can move their bodies more and the benefits are so endless."

Wicks says even small and low intensity movements is still movement and should be encouraged.

"That's my kind of main sort of take at the moment [or] this year, I've been like letting people feel like it's okay to walk 5k or run a minute, jog a minute, you're still gonna get round, who cares," he says.

"And you ain't gotta post it on Instagram to show your [running] time and stuff."

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