Navigating Body Image in Physical Education: Strategies for PE Teachers in the Social Media Age

In today’s digital landscape, students are constantly exposed to curated images and unrealistic body standards that shape how they view themselves. Physical Education can unintentionally become a high‑pressure environment where body comparison, anxiety, and disengagement emerge.

This session explores the growing impact of social media on student body image and examines how body dissatisfaction can act as a hidden barrier to participation in PE. Participants will gain practical, research‑informed strategies to create more inclusive, body‑neutral learning environments. Through reflective activities and real classroom examples, educators will learn how to shift language, redesign assessment practices, and foster a culture that prioritizes competence, autonomy, and wellbeing over appearance.

Attendees will leave with actionable tools to help students feel safe, confident, and at home in their bodies — both inside and outside the gym.