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5 Common Fitness Myths |
| Home >> Health - Beauty - Fitness >> 5 Common Fitness Myths |
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Ever overheard some
juicy stuff at the gym? I remember hearing a woman tell her friend
the juicy story of her extra-marital affair as I peddled away on an
exercise bike--oh boy. Chances are you've also heard some misleading health
advice from fellow gym goers. I know I have! Here's a roundup
of the five most frequent myths, and what you really need to
know...
I asked my fitness instructor and personal
trainer to tell me the top five
health myths she hears in the gym and the real facts behind
them:
Myth #1: Light weights on arms or legs help burn extra
calories and build muscle while walking/running."It
is an absolute myth! There is absolutely no need to add additional
weight to your own. By adding hand-held or Velcro weights only
slows you down, which leads to an incomplete aerobic benefit."
Myth #2: If you want to lose weight, stay away from
strength training because it will make you bulk up.
"Most fitness experts believe that cardiovascular exercise and
strength training are both valuable for maintaining a healthy
weight. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and decrease
body fat percentage. By incorporating both into your regimen,
results are noticed faster and with the proper amount of strength
training, your body will not result in a bulky
appearance."
Myth #3: Crunches blast belly fat. "Almost
every client believes that performing 100 crunches daily will
result in the coveted washboard abs. Planks, yoga, Pilates and
crunches and a variety of cardiovascular exercises will help in
lowering belly fat. Daily nutrition is also extremely dependent on
the appearance of your midsection. Abdominal exercises can
strengthen and tone the muscles. But those muscles are underneath
the "subcutaneous" layer of fat that gives the lovely
appearance of flab. Only losing weight can get rid of excess fat,
and where you lose the weight is also dependent on your
genetics."
Myth #4: No pain, no gain. "Many people
still believe that you have to work at a very high intensity in
order to get see physical improvements. You don't need to run a
marathon! The idea is making sure that the exercise is at least
moderate-intensity--that is, equivalent to walking at a pace of
three to four miles an hour. High-intensity exercise does have one
advantage: it saves time. It takes less time to burn the same
number of calories at higher intensity. You can jog for 20 minutes
or walk for 40 or 45. You shouldn't feel like working out
harder or faster will lead to maximum results, as this may lead to
strenuous complications later in life."
Myth #5: You have to sweat to know you're really
working hard. "Sweating is not necessarily an
indicator of exertion--the process of perspiring is your body's
way of cooling itself. It is possible to burn a significant number
of calories without breaking a sweat: taking a walk, doing light
weight training, or working out in a swimming pool won't lead
to excessive sweating."
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