Don’t Pay Attention To These Fitness Myths
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Several new and improved workout routines are easily available these days. The benefits of trying new workouts or improving on the existing ones are better fitness and body functions. Looking for advice is only logical when wanting to tone your body or lose or gain weight. However, there’s a lot of fitness advice that might actually take you away from your goals and even cause injuries.
Always consult professional trainers who know right from wrong. You must have come across pumped up individuals in the gym who do exactly the opposite of what you have been taught. The result is an uneven body or an increased vulnerability to injuries.
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Common Fitness Myths
The fact is that some people sweat heavily and some don’t. Sweating more doesn’t mean that you’ve worked out very hard and you’ll see better effects than those who don’t sweat as much as you do. The environmental temperature, a person's weight, type of exercise, and their biology define the amount of sweat. You should concentrate on ways to make your workout enjoyable and challenging. When going for a gym workout or a HIIT class, make sure that you’re comfortable in your clothes and avoid dehydration and overexertion.
“Women gain bulk by lifting weights” is a common myth to which you should not pay heed. The testosterone levels in women are significantly lower than men to make any difference when it comes to bodybuilding. It is extremely hard for women to achieve extraordinary muscle growth without chemical assistance. They would have to consume up to 10,000 calories every day and indulge in intense muscle-building exercises to bulk up. Although men can lift heavier weights, another misconception is that women cannot lift heavyweights. That’s certainly not true; we see women lifting heavy stuff all the time. However, lifting 3-5 KG dumbbells won’t make much of a difference after the first couple of weeks. Women, like men, should repeat weight lifting exercises 8-10 times to challenge their muscles.
Not everyone wants to or can run marathons. And that’s alright since several other cardio exercises can help you lose extra fat. Sure, running benefits the entire body and is a really good way to stay fit. But you don’t have to run for miles every day. According to research, 10-15 minutes runs have the same benefits on the heart as running for an hour. Research suggests that short intense workouts are more effective and fun than long and tiring workouts. Running for up to 1 hour every week is enough according to experts. If you don’t like running, you can always check out the benefits of skipping rope.
Machines are only better for people with limited experience or injuries; they are good for those who are limited in their movements. The truth is that both serve their purposes. Free weights allow a better range of motion whereas strength training offers functional benefits – helps you perform better in daily life. Several workout routines like CrossFit, HIIT, and other adaptations are based on body-weight training and offer great health benefits.
You must have overheard people talking about the number of hard-boiled eggs they consume after each workout. Most of them consume only egg whites while the truth is that the yolk contains most of the vitamins, minerals, and an equal amount of protein as the egg whites. If you consume only egg whites, which are fat-free, for a meal, you are likely to get hunger cravings. It might lead to an insulin spike as well, which will cause energy swings throughout the day. Eating egg yolk is associated with high cholesterol levels but that’s not true; your cholesterol levels won’t spike unless you fry your eggs in butter or eat bacon with them.
Sorry to bust the myth, but spot reduction is not possible. While exercises work particular muscles, there aren’t any exercises that will help you lose fat in, let’s say, the stomach area or the thighs. You can do twice the amount of crunches and other ab exercises but you won’t be able to get abs like a person with lower body fat as compared to yours. The idea is to workout to burn as many calories as possible and target the areas that need more work. Exercises like squats, dips, deadlifts, shoulder dips, pushups, and crunches are good for the entire body.
Diet and exercise go hand in hand but you will not necessarily inculcate healthy eating habits if you start working out regularly. It is almost impossible to reach your goals if you don’t eat healthily. Some experts suggest that diet determines upto 80% of your shape and fitness. The whole idea of a healthy lifestyle is based on calories; overestimating the number of calories you burn in a workout is quite common and delays the results. Figure out your weight loss or muscle gain goals and create a workout plan alongside your diet.
