When we spoke about the This Girl Can campaign and the drive to grow participation in sport amongst women (well, everyone really), one of the topics of conversation we landed on was social media influencers, and how these are platforms which often create idealised views of fitness.

From impossibly delicious looking healthy meals right through to beautiful beaches and designer gear, the images of fitness and exercise online are often a world away from the sweaty, muddy reality most of us find ourselves in when practising sport in our own lives.

In one sense, that is helpful: it can motivate some people into getting active by portraying fitness in a desirable light. But for all the people it motivates, there are probably just as many it puts off. Just as there are plenty of people excluded from what’s fashionable in other sectors by advertising of various kinds. Sport shouldn’t be something which promotes certain body types.

That’s not just the fault of Instagram influencers, of course. We all play a role, including big sportswear brands who have also contributed positively to getting plenty of people active. By portraying fitness as a lifestyle choice rather than the stereotypes many people remember from hating physical education at school. On the other hand, it creates an environment where designer gear, perfect bodies and idyllic settings become the hallmarks of a movement.

Sportswear brand Asics have launched a new campaign which aims to tackle this problem.

The I Move Me campaign features the brand’s ambassadors, sportspeople of all kinds. But the everyday feel of the ad, and the fact that it’s not set on sunny beaches but shows off mud and rain, means that it doesn’t idealise physical activity. Sport is sweaty, it’s muddy, and outdoor sports like running mean going out in the cold, wind and rain. For that, you need motivation, but the rewards are great.

“I move me”, say the personalities in the ad. They motivate themselves, they don’t rely on others: not impossibly beautiful models, not idealised visions of fitness and health, not dramatic landscapes which make your morning run Instagram-worthy.

It’s hard to tell just how much impact campaigns like these have. It’s also hard to know what’s the right way to portray sport and exercise given that different people are motivated by different things. But it’s refreshing to see a brand think about showing a side of sport which is less than pristine, but ultimately more realistic.

Whether you’re starting to get active, trying to get into shape, or performing at a high level, it requires time, effort and motivation. To some people, that’s enough inspiration in itself.