Myths About Exercising You Must Stop Believing Now

Did you know that the phrase ‘six packs’ is looked up on google about 1.2 million times every month? Everyone wants to get fit but unwanted suggestions might take away that chance. You can get suggestions for anything to everything in your day to day life. In fact, most of the people who give suggestions are the ones who do not follow or believe in them. One of the hot topics that invite suggestions from everyone is “Exercise”. The moment anyone would come to know about your exercising, there will be a flood of suggestions or guidelines coming your way. But it is not always wise to give an ear to all those suggestions as most of them are myths. So if you are confused about what is true, here is our logical take on the most common myths.

Myth: More exercise or workout means better results

It is not the quantity but quality of exercise that matters for good results. Experts recommend that an exercise session should not be more than 1-2 hours and adequate rest between workouts is equally important for post-workout recovery

Myth: More sweat means more fat burn

Sweating is a natural phenomenon of the human body that differs in every person. You might sweat a lot, but your friend may sweat less. Also sweating depends upon factors like age, family pattern, the intensity of exercise and other environmental factors. Though sweating helps in temperature regulation of the body it is not related to weight or fat loss.

Myth: Do crunches for flat abs

Crunches are an important part of abdominal exercises, but they alone,can not give you flat abs. Crunches only work on few abdominal muscles and do not engage your entire core, so a mix of abdominal exercises is recommended for flatter abs.

Myth: Stretching is a must before exercise

Not necessarily. Stretching before exercise is not found to help much in exercising. It is unlikely to reduce any chances of injury, or improve your performance or prevent muscle soreness. On the contrary, a warm-up can help make the body ready for a workout.

Myth: Exercising but avoiding carbohydrates result in more fat loss

Burning more fat requires a mix of both cardiovascular and strength-training exercises. Carbohydrates are also an essential part of a balanced diet and completely avoiding them can put your health at risk. So a supervised diet plan with exercise is a must to get the expected results.

Myth: Women should do cardio while men should lift weights

Although it is commonly believed that women should not do strength training as it can make her look “bulky”, it is not necessarily true. Weight training or strength training can help women achieve a well-toned and lean body by decreasing body fat, increasing lean muscle mass and burning calories more efficiently.

Myth: No pain means no gain

Some people believe that you should feel the pain of exercising to get benefits. But you should not exercise up to the level of pain. Some discomfort during exercise is fine , but if this increases up to the level of pain, stop the exercise immediately and take proper rest for recovery.

Myth: More cardio means more weight loss

Although cardio exercises are very good for the heart and increase endurance, they are not the best to lose weight. In fact, an excess of cardio will result in loss of stored energy and not fat from muscles. So a 10-25 min cardio is sufficient to increase endurance while preventing energy loss.

Myth: A protein shake is required after a workout

It is not true as even a protein shake would be counted as a meal by your body. Moreover relying on supplements is good only in some emergency condition. Otherwise, it is best to get protein from natural sources like yogurt, nuts, fruits, sea foods, pulses etc.

Myth: Exercise in the morning on an empty stomach

This may sound true but is not a good way to exercise. Exercise, while your stomach is empty, may result in burning of more muscle, defeating the purpose of fat-loss diet. Also, an empty stomach means lack of nutrients and energy that will not allow power-packed peak performance.

Myth: A good exercise allows me to eat anything in the day

A balanced diet with all the essential nutrients is must to stay healthy. In fact for weight loss, a calorie deficit diet is a must. So eat wisely and choose foods rich in nutrients and stay away from processed or junk food to enjoy the benefits of your exercise.