Top Ten Fitness Myths

If you are thinking about hitting the gym or already do then you have to read this article.  The media, people, and friends tend to generate and share ideas about working out that are nothing more than myths. Many people go to the gym with these common misconceptions. 

10

If you workout, you can eat anything you want

No matter how much you workout, if your diet is out of whack you won’t lose fat. Being healthy has as much to do with your diet as it does what you do in the gym. In order to lose weight and ultimately lose fat, you must burn more calories than you intake.

9

Fresh fruit is better than frozen fruit

Contrary to popular belief fresh fruit found in the produce section may not actually be that fresh. Typically fruit sits around for several weeks before it is distributed to various stores. Frozen fruit is generally frozen at the peak of freshness and usually contains more nutrients.

8

Performing crunches will burn fat off your abs

Even if you perform hundreds of crunches everyday, if you don’t do cardio exercises you will never have a flat six pack. Sure, doing crunches will strengthen and build your abdominal muscles, but they will still be covered by several layers of fat. The fact is, it is nearly impossible to spot-train. The best course of action is to focus on working out your entire body and eating right. With enough dedication yours abs will eventually shine through.

7

Vegetarian diets are healthier

Of course eating a lot of vegetables is certainly a good thing, however, a diet consisting of vegetables alone can cause some serious deficiencies. Typically people on a vegetarian diet are deficient in iron, which plays a key role in energy production and cellular health. Also vegetarians diets are typically low on protein, an essential component involved in muscle-tone and development.

6

Static stretching before exercise reduces the risk of injury

Stretching prior to working out actually does not increase your range of motion. Some studies suggest that stretching can actually be detrimental. Stretching has the ability to destabilize muscles, making them less prepared to perform under strenuous exercise.  In fact, it is considered better to stretch after you work out to relieve muscle tension. Modern research suggests performing a warm-up instead of stretching. It will help get your blood moving and your body ready to exercise.

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5

No pain, no gain

Some amount of soreness is expected after working out and is a good thing. This soreness is a result of micro-tears in the muscle tissues, which results in your muscles healing on their own and you becoming stronger. If the pain persists for more than a few days it can be a sign of an injury or that you overexerted yourself. Severe muscle damage can take up to six weeks to heal.

4

More is better

People, in their never-ending quest to look better and become stronger believe that the more they exercise the better shape they will be in. This is not necessarily true. It is possible to work out too often and too much. Your body needs sufficient recovery time in order to grow.

3

Squatting is bad for your knees

Squatting in itself is not bad for your knees. The issue is that many people either have bad form or attempt to lift too much weight. Over time these bad habits can lead to knee injury. It is important to focus on technique over weight and to know your limits.

2

You have to break a sweat

Sweat is not an indicator of the quality of a workout. Many factors go into sweating including weather, humidity, temperature, and biology. A more accurate measure of your physical exertion is your heart rate and breathing rate which indicate how hard your body is working.

1

Lifting weights is only for men

Women typically avoid lifting weights because they fear that they will develop large burly muscles. The fact is, most women aren’t wired to build large bulky muscles because they don’t produce enough testosterone to do so. Weight-training helps women develop a sleek figure and helps increase women’s bone density, endurance, muscle-tone, and strength.

 

Source: Fox News