|
FITNESS
MYTHS
* Fitness Myth 1: No Pain, No Gain
Exercise does not need to hurt to be good for you. In fact, if it does hurt
you’re probably doing something wrong. Some soreness is common for a first
time exerciser, but if that continues, you are pushing way too hard. To give
muscles time to adapt, don’t do much too soon, or you will risk injury.
* Fitness Myth 2: Excessive Sweating While Exercising
Means You’re Not Fit
In fact, it's just the opposite. Sweating during exercise is a sign of an
efficient cooler. A fit person who has adapted to keep the body core cool during
exercise will shunt blood to the skin’s surface more quickly and release heat
from the body. At the same time, the sweat glands increase their output and thus
cool the body during sweat evaporation.
* Fitness Myth 3: To Build Muscles, Eat High-Protein
Foods
There is no scientific evidence supporting the popular belief that athletes
require massive amounts of protein. To build more muscles, you simply have
to follow a good weight training program and eat a well balanced diet
consistently. If you consume too much protein, you run the risk of creating
nutrient imbalance, kidney strain, or dehydration. Plus, excess protein results
in extra calories that are either burned or stored. For muscle mass, you should
incorporate a healthy eating plan, as well as a workout that combines cardio
exercise as well as consistent weight training.
* Fitness Myth 4: If You Stop Exercising, Your Muscles
Will Turn to Fat
Fat and muscles are two different tissue types. One can not convert to the
other. The truth is that if you continue to eat as you always have, but stop
exercising, you will see an increase in body fat and a loss of muscle mass.
* Fitness Myth 5: You Can Increase Fat Burning By
Exercising Longer at a Lower Intensity
It really isn't important what percentage of energy during exercise comes from
fat or carbohydrate. What matters at the end of the day is how many total
calories were expended. The higher the exercise intensity, the more calories are
burned per minute. Many new exercisers, however, are encouraged to exercise at a
lower intensity because high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain, and
safer.
* Fitness Myth 6: If You Exercise, You Can Eat Anything
If you try to make up for poor nutrition by exercising, you are going to be
disappointed. While eating poorly and not exercising is far worse for your
health that eating poorly and exercising, you will get the most out of your
workouts if you fuel them with high quality foods.
* Fitness Myth 7: If You Don't Work Out Hard and Often,
Exercise Is A Waste Of Time
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Research shows that even moderate
exercise, such as walking and gardening a few times a week, can have tremendous
benefits.
* Fitness Myth 8: Exercise Can Fix All Your Health
Problems
While consistent exercise can make a huge difference in quality and quantity of
life, it can't fix everything. Although exercise alone can not guarantee your
health, or cure you of illness, regular physical activity has been shown to help
everything from arthritis and heart disease to asthma and diabetes.
* Fitness Myth 9: Weight Training Will Bulk You Up
Many women use this excuse to avoid weight training. What they don't realize it
that weight training is often the easiest and quickest way for women to lose
body fat and increase muscle definition.
* Fitness Myth 10: The More Exercise The Better
Of course you can get too much exercise. Many top athletes give in to this myth,
and many pay the price with injury, illness and depression. When it comes to
exercise, you need an appropriate balance of training and rest in order to
perform optimally.
* Fitness Myth No. 11: I need exercises to work my
'Abs' and reduce my pot belly.
Doing crunches will not help you get a 'six-pack' if you have a layer of fat
over your abdominal area. In order the see the muscles, you must reduce your
body fat.
|