Debunk Those Exercise Myths
The idea that exercise is the key to a slimmer body and better health has been ingrained into our minds that almost every nugget of information we come across about it makes us believe it to be true. Unfortunately, there are myths about exercising and not all the things you heard about it can be true. So to dispel some of the myths here are a few ideas that you thought were right about exercising that are actually wrong.
Exercise burns many calories
A lot of people still believe that the harder they exercise the faster they’ll burn the calories in their bodies. The truth is we only burn a few calories whenever we work out. If you’re doing brisk walking you’ll only burn the amount of calories found in one banana. If you’re running at 5mph for 30 minutes you’ll only burn the amount of calories in one bagel. So find an exercise regimen that can burn your calories effectively like rock climbing, sprinting or swimming.
Endurance workouts: best for the heart
The longer the workout is the better it will be for your heart. That is what most people think to be true when it comes to working out. But the truth is there are other fitness regimens that are much more effective in strengthening your cardiovascular system than just running or cycling for hours.
According to fitness experts when it comes to improving your heart using high-intensity interval training or HIIT can be more effective in strengthening your cardiovascular system as compared to other traditional endurance training methods.
Fitness regimens such as CrossFit or Circuit training employ workout methods that are fast and intense, which will improve your cardiovascular system much more effectively.
More sit-ups = flatter stomach
One of the biggest myths about exercise is the idea that if you do a thousand crunches or sit-ups every day you’ll lose all the fat in your belly and you’ll be rewarded with a stomach that would rival any Hollywood actor.
That’s just not true.
The reason why a lot of celebrities or fitness models have six-pack abs is not because they do crunches or sit-ups every day, or at least they don’t compartmentalize losing belly fat to just exercise. Those people get six-pack abs because they exercise regularly and they eat less or eat food that has less fat in it.
The right way to get six-pack abs is to exercise more so that your muscles will be more pronounced and at the same time eat more protein to help build lean muscles. Also, eat good carbs after your workout. These good carbs are: brown rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Eat healthy fats as well such as raw nuts, nut butters, olive oil and fish oil.
Fitness experts agree that a proper diet is more helpful in getting six-pack abs than just doing sit-ups and crunches. In fact, some experts even advise people to stop doing hundred sit-ups or crunches and instead employ a workout that targets all of the muscles in the body.
Stretch before you exercise
This one is also untrue although it doesn’t hurt to stretch before you start working out. But according to experts the best time to stretch is after you work out when the muscles are warm and much more flexible.
A 15-minutes exercise is good enough
Exercising 15 minutes a day and three times a week will never be enough to improve your healthy by a large margin. People should exercise up to 30 minutes and engage in moderate to vigorous exercise regimens in order to see good results to your health and physique.
There are many fitness myths out there that people still believe up to this day, which can be more detrimental to their health than helpful. So if you’re serious about having a healthier lifestyle do some research on these fitness myths and learn what’s right and wrong about exercising.
It’s never too late to start living right and becoming healthier but first you have to move towards the right direction and learning the myths about exercising can help steer you towards the right path.