Some things never change, and some exercise myths never seem to fade away. If you believe some of these misconceptions, you could be undermining your fitness efforts.
Facts will always bust fitness myths so here are some facts to help you get the most out of your next workout.
Myth 1 ? Burn More Fat on an Empty Stomach First Thing in the Morning
Proponents claim that exercising on an empty stomach will force the body to use fat as a fuel. They claim that sleeping places the body in a fasting state with all carbohydrates depleted leaving only fat to burn for energy.
Busted: I true that the stored carbs will run down overnight but only in the liver not in the muscles. So when you exercise first thing in the morning, you are using primarily the energy stored in your muscles not in your fat stores.
However, you will burn fat no matter what time of the day you exercise. The benefits of exercising early morning are that i mentally refreshing, and it gets this routine out of the way to free up your day for other activities.
Myth 2 ? Lifting Heavy Weights Will Bulk Up A Woman
Many women shirk away from lifting heavy weights in the belief they will end up looking too muscular and losing their feminine shape.
Busted: Nothing could be further from the truth. Women can not build a body similar to a muscle-bound male for one simple reason ? females have too much estrogen and low levels of testosterone, and testosterone is the hormone that helps muscles grow.
Moreover, women who are aged 40+ naturally will be experiencing even lower levels of estrogen, and testosterone.
Women need to lift heavy weights to promote strong healthy bones, strong muscles and joints, improve posture, and for effective weight management.
One kilo of muscle takes up less space than one kilo of fat in the body. When you start a weight training program your body weight will increase but your dress size will drop by 1 or more sizes.
Myth 3 ? Cardio is the Only Way To Lose Weight
There are many health benefits from cardio exercise. But for many women cardio is the only exercise they may do and that means they are missing out on much more.
Busted: If you are pounding the pavement hard and fast each time you go running you are more likely to burn up muscle not fat. You may be putting yourself at risk of becoming a ?skinny fat? (someone described as having a slim shape with no muscle tone).
Steady state cardio will burn fat but only while you are performing that activity. Once you stop the steady state exercise you stop burning fat.
Cardio primarily exercises the cardio-pulmonary system ? your heart and lungs.
Mix in some weight training 2-3 times a week with the cardio exercise and you have an effective system for melting away the body fat, developing a toned physique, and improving your overall fitness.
Myth 4 ? Crunches get rid of the belly fat.
?Use this machine 10 minutes every day and you too will have a flatter stomach and stronger abs? (saleswoman on a TV infomercial for a popular abdominal machine)
Busted: The most effective way to lose belly fat is a combination of regular exercise and a healthy diet. Ab exercise devices and crunches will not give you a slimmer waistline because you can not ?spot reduce? ? choose where you want to burn fat for a particular exercise session.
The body does not discriminate when it comes to burning fat. When you exercise the body burns fat everywhere.
Crunches will only help strengthen the abdominals and improve your posture.
Myth 5 ? No Pain No Gain Right?
You often hear people saying you need to ?feel the pain? to make any headway with your fitness.
However, this is very off the mark.
Busted: While i perfectly natural to experience muscle soreness a day or two following a workout, it is not good for your body to exercise when movement is severely restricted because of pain.
Exercise should not hurt. If it does then you are either doing it incorrectly or you have an injury such as a muscle tear.
If you feel pain of any type while exercising, the best action to take is to stop your activity and give the sore area a light massage. If the pain persists or comes back after a short time immediately stop exercising, rest, support the sore area with a firm bandage and ice, and see a health professional as soon as you can.
Arm yourself with these tips to bust the myths for a better all-round fitness.
