Fit Happens Top 10 Fitness Myths
THE TOP 10 FITNESS MYTHS
OK, I don’t care if you’ve been hitting the gym and working out for years, chances are you’ve fallen for a few fitness myths. While some myths may contain half truths, many of these exercise induced myths have largely been debunked by current research, but surprisingly the following 10 are still in circulation.
MYTH ONE: YOU CAN SPOT REDUCE.
No matter how many crunches you do, it’s not possible to melt fat off just your midsection. You have to work the whole body–weights for muscle strength and endurance, cardio to utilize fat as fuel combined with healthy diet is the only way.
MYTH TWO: AEROBIC WORKOUTS BOOST YOUR METABOLISM FOR HOURS AFTER YOU STOP.
The myth that working out in the morning will keep your body burning calories at a higher rate all day is only partially true. You do end up burning more calories after you get off the treadmill, but only about 20 over the course of the day, not the several hundred extra many people seem to expect.
MYTH THREE: TREADMILLS ARE BETTER FOR YOUR KNEES.
People with knee problems may have been told that running on a treadmill gives you more cushion than running on pavement. NOT! The real stress on your knees doesn’t come from the surface you run on it comes from your body weight, which provides up to four times more pressure on your knees per pound with each step.
MYTH FOUR: STRETCHING BEFORE A WORKOUT PREVENTS INJURY.
Stretching after a workout, once your body is warmed up may help to increase your range of motion, but stretching beforehand when your body is cold will not.
MYTH FIVE: SPORTS BRAS ONLY PREVENT BOUNCING.
Sports bras can actually help prevent your breasts from sagging as you age. The bouncing action of high impact activities can stretch out the ligaments that hold your breasts in place causing them to droop. Solution: wear your sports bra.
MYTH SIX: LIFTING WEIGHTS BULKS YOU UP.
Many women avoid the weight rack because they are afraid of bulking up. Relax: it’s the testosterone in men that helps them build large, bulky muscles. Women on the other hand develop long lean muscles. Plus, muscle can boost your metabolism.
MYTH SEVEN: YOU CAN EAT WHEREVER YOU WANT AS LONG AS YOU EXERCISE.
Not! Exercise does play a role in how much fat you gain, but only about 20%. The other 80% comes from the food you eat. Many people overestimate how many calories they burned during a workout and then overeat.
This is why in order to lose weight you have to keep track of calories you consume.
MYTH EIGHT: YOU ONLY BURN FAT IN YOUR TAGET HEART RATE ZONE.
Actually you burn a mixture of fat and carbs no matter what your heart rate is. The body is built to get the most efficient amount of fuel it can, which is usually not solely fat burning. Get the best results by mixing high and low intensity throughout your workout.
MYTH NINE: YOU BURN MORE FAT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
If you work out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach your body will tap into fat reserves to help get the fuel it needs. Unfortunately it will also tap into your muscle supply, burning even more muscle than it does fat, which can be counterproductive as lower muscle mass means lower metabolism.
MYTH TEN: YOU SHOULD PUSH TO MUSCLE FATIGUE.
Pushing yourself to complete muscle fatigue is a sure way of overtraining and not getting results you want. Instead work to about 80 to 85% of your capacity to get the best results.
30 Second Exercise Tip of Week
AB AND BACK STRETCH
-Sitting up straight
-pull in your abs
-reach your hands upwards, and hold for 10 seconds–if in a car do at stop light-never while driving
-repeat 10 times throughout your commute
Keep reaching!
I’m Joanie Greggains–until next week–make fit happen!
