There’s a lot of myth surrounding workouts and exercises and the last thing you need is to do it all wrong because of an unproved statement. Workout right by knowing these exercising myths!
There are a lot of myths or false exercise tips floating around the internet and it takes one read to believe them. Being Misinformed, misled, or believing false information can lead to injuries and maybe even unnecessary exercise.
To make your workout session more effective and worth it, we’ve debunked common exercising myths that most people believed in.
Myth: Sit-ups will help you lose stomach fat
When we talk about body fat, “spot” reducing doesn’t exist. Fat doesn’t shed from one part of your body, instead, it is shed proportionally from the entire body. What sit-ups and other resistance exercises do is tone your muscles under the body fat.
Myth: You are wasting time exercising when you are not losing weight
While it’s true that exercising is for shedding unwanted fat, it’s not a bad thing if you are not losing weight. While you are burning your fat, you are also building muscle. Now, muscle weighs more than fat and it is important for your weight to be more muscle than fat.
Myth: Weight training will make you all muscly
Only if you want to. Bodybuilders purposely design their training sessions to lift heavy weights to be muscle-bound. However, moderate weight training is an ideal method to strengthen muscles, improve bone health and is a vital element in any fitness plan.
Myth: If you exercise before eating, you burn more calories
Only if you are 30% over your ideal weight. If not, you’ll burn more if you exercise after eating. Keep in mind to avoid too taxing and exhausting exercise after eating.
Myth: The best time to exercise is in the morning
If you enjoy exercising in the morning, it’s the best time. If not, don’t worry! What time of the day you exercise doesn’t matter. It’s all up to your preference. Take note that exercising before bedtime might make it difficult to fall asleep.
Myth: Exercise machines are better than free weights
No. The effectiveness only depends if you use them properly.
Myth: Exercising is dangerous
Only if you are exercising too much, using improper form, or exercising even when in pain. Other than that, exercising is safe and most people who do, never get injured. The best tip to avoid injuries is to gradually increase the intensity and duration of your sessions.
Myth: Stretching prevents muscle soreness
No. What stretching does is maintain muscle and joint flexibility and prevent stiffness. It doesn’t, in any way, prevent muscle pain.
Myth: No pain, no gain
Don’t take this saying to heart. In fact, don’t even bother thinking about it. Pain is the body’s way of telling you to stop. If you are exercising and you feel immense and excessive pain, stop, take a rest and check your body for any injuries.
Myth: Less calories is the best way to lose weight
The best way to lose weight is to switch up your eating behaviors and pair them with regular exercise. Aerobic exercise burns calories and strength training builds more muscles. This uses more calories, making it easier to lose weight.
Myth: You need to sweat
Not necessarily. What’s more important is to move your body and increase your heart rate. These two are the most important when it comes to physical activity. Sweating occurs when your body is cooling down.
Myth: You need to workout everyday
Fortunately, this is false and is one of the most ridiculous exercising myths. When you exercise, you are breaking down muscle fibers to rebuild them even stronger. To do this, you need to let your body recover from exercise. We recommend 1 to 2 days a week for recovery or rest days. You can try light exercises that don’t stress the body, like gentle stretches or light walks.
