Top 10 Exercise Myths
27 October 2016
2
min read
Everywhere we turn people are spruiking the benefits of getting fit and living healthy. Whether it’s photos and tips that appear on our social media feeds, in health mags or on TV, it’s hard to ignore the never ending stream of fad diets, self-proclaimed fitness gurus and high tech gadgets that will help us get into better shape. With so many theories out there, we thought it a good time to bust a few fitness myths.
Myth #1: Crunches lead to flat abs
While they appear to work your abs the hardest, doing crunches aren’t the best way to trim your tum. These very targeted exercises only tone a small section of your abs and don’t burn off enough calories to result in fat loss when done in isolation. You’re much better off eating healthy and having a balanced workout program.
Myth #2: Cardio kills fat
Focusing purely on cardio without any strength training may actually cause you to burn less fat overall. By adding some strength training, you’ll build lean muscle mass which increases your metabolism and burns fat even after you’ve stopped exercising. In short, the more muscle you build, the more calories you’ll burn each day.
Myth #3: Lifting weights turns you into a bulky bodybuilder
Many women believe that lifting weights will turn them into huge, muscle-bound bodybuilders. The truth is, this “bulky” appearance is only gained by eating, training and taking supplements that are specifically designed to make athletes look that way. So don’t be afraid to lift some weights. In fact, some resistance training or weights should be part of every workout, as it helps burn fat and improves bone density.
Myth #4: Pre-stretching prevents injury
Stretching before exercise has been drummed into us since childhood, yet there is no scientific evidence to support the notion that it prevents injury.1
Regular stretching may make you more flexible, but experts say static stretching can cause injury if not done probably or form part of a dynamic warm-up session.
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Myth #5: Lunges burn fat from your hips and butt
Unfortunately, our bodies won’t let us target trouble spots, like hips and thighs. The body just doesn't work that way. Fat is systematically burned from all parts of the body, so focusing your training on one muscle group won't fool your body into using fat from that area.
Myth #6: Without pain, you’re not working out
Some wrongly believe that if you’re not sore after exercise, you’re not doing enough. Injury and pain aren’t the best effectiveness gauges for your workout. So just because you haven’t crippled yourself doesn’t mean you haven’t worked hard, burned calories or gained muscle.
Myth #7: Longer workouts are better for you
The intensity is what really counts, not the length of your workout. In fact, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been helping many achieve spectacular results in just a few minutes a day, using short intense anaerobic exercise mixed with less intense recovery. HIIT has been proven to burn more fat during and after workouts than steady exercise.3
Myth #8: Hot baths prevent muscle soreness
While it’s relaxing to sit in a hot bath with sore muscles, immersing yourself in a cold (even chilled) bath will bring greater relief. It’s like putting your whole body in an ice pack, and why professional footballers wade into the cold surf or a pool the morning after a game.
Myth #9: Treadmills put less stress on your knees than street running
Hitting the treadmill at the gym or at home is a great way to get fit. However, many people do so in the belief that it’s better for their knees than running around the streets. Unfortunately, any kind of running can impact your knees because it's the force of your body weight on your joints that causes the stress. This stress is the same whether you're running on a treadmill or asphalt.
Myth #10: Cardio should be done first
Pushing yourself hard in cardio means you won’t have much energy for the resistance session that follows. So think about doing them on separate days, so you can give each of them 100% and burn more calories overall.
It’s so easy to fall for fad diets and workouts that promise miraculous results. The important thing to remember is that the key to a healthier life is finding a good balance between staying active, reducing stress and eating good food. That way, you can get on with living life to the full, both now and well into the future.
1 www.usatf.org/stretchStudy/StretchStudyReport.pdf, accessed 20 May 2016.
2 www.painscience.com/articles/stretching, accessed 30 May 2016.
3 American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, 2011, www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-benefits-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit, accessed 30 May 2016.