The Myths about Fitness

What you don’t know about exercise can hurt!

It’s supposed to be fun

Fun isn’t the point. The point is to find something which you can stick with and will benefit you in the end.

Situps flatten your abdominalsThey will tone your ab muscles, but won’t eliminate the fat layer which may cover them. Only burning more calories will produce overall fat reduction. There is no such thing as spot reducing. Fat burns evenly throughout the body.

You’ll always lose weightThe scale is not a good measure of how well your exercise program is working. Lifting weights will add muscle which in turn can add more weight. The real benefit is that the percentage of body fat will be reduced.

You should work out before you eatThis issue can go either way. If you’re over 30% over weight, exercising before eating will burn more calories. If you’re less than 30% over weight, then exercising after burns more calories. One known caveat is that exercising in the morning on an empty stomach can burn more fat since there will be no other available energy source.

Machines are better than free weightsMachines may be more convenient than free weights, even safer in many cases, but you can build more of the helper muscles using free weights. For many fitness enthusiast, using a combination of machine and free weights is a good compromise.

Morning is the best time to exercise

No time of the day is significantly better than the other. However, one needs to consider what time of day will give the person the best chance of sticking with the program. One caveat is that exercising too close to bedtime can make it hard to fall asleep.

When you stop weight lifting , your muscle will turn to fat.

Hard muscles may degenerate into soft muscle tissue if not challenged. However, muscle cells and fat cells are completely different tissues, and one can’t ever become the other. In addition, when muscle shrinks through under use, fat may take over that area.

Sooner or later you’ll get hurt

The majority of exercisers won’t get hurt if they listen to their bodies and practice sound care and prevention principles.

After a good sweat, you need extra salt

You’d have to sweat 3 quarts of salt to lose just half of the 9 to 12 grams of salt a person consumes each day.

Situps are best done with hand behind your neck

Doing situps with hands behind the neck can cause too much pressure on the cervical vertebrae. Keep hands on your chest which keeps the spine aligned.

People with high blood pressure should not lift weights

Long term studies of weight lifting and high blood pressure have failed to show any negative effects so long as proper breathing techniques are used. In fact, exercise can reduce blood pressure.

No Pain, no gainWe need to realize the difference between challenging our bodies to work hard even to the point of discomfort, and hurting ourselves. Once you establish the difference, you will likely avoid getting hurt.

Exercise will make you tired during the day

As their bodies get more in shape, most people feel exercising gives them more energy than before. Regular, brisk exercise can also help you resist fatigue and stress.

Exercising takes too much time

Regular exercise does not have to take more than 30-40 minutes a few times per week. Some exercise is far better than none at all.

All exercises give you the same benefit

All physical activity can give you enjoyment. But, only regular , brisk and sustained exercises like walking, jogging or swimming improve the cardio vascular system. Weight lifting and yoga can increase muscular strength and flexibility.

The older you are, the less exercise you need

With age we tend to become less active, and therefore need to make sure we are getting enough exercise. In general, older people benefit from regular exercise as much as younger people. No matter the age, tailor the fitness program to your ability and desired result.

You have to be athletic to exercise

Most exercises including weight lifting do not require any special athletic abilities. In fact, many people who found school sports difficult have discovered that these other activities are easy to do and enjoyable.