Common Fitness Myths You Need to Stop Believing
Fitness and working out aren’t only essential for you to look and feel good but for your overall health. If you are a beginner who just recently started working out and doesn’t know much about it – we are here to help. Here is a list of common fitness myths you need to stop believing.
Morning training is the most efficient
Exercising early in the morning will surely boost your energy and mood. But no evidence suggests that exercising in the morning will burn more calories during the day or help you build muscle more efficiently. Exercising in the morning is better if your goal is losing fat. If your training starts before breakfast, the only source of energy the body has available is the reserves you already have in your body. If you don’t have time for exercise in the morning, exercising in the evening will be just as beneficial. The most important thing is to incorporate training into your everyday life in a way that works best for you because it increases the likelihood that you will stick to the plan no matter how hard it gets.
Food-related fitness myths you need to stop believing
Eating carbohydrates makes you fat; you must not eat them after 6 pm.
Carbohydrates are necessary for your body to produce energy. But it is essential to choose the right ones for you. Carbohydrates from vegetables, whole grains, and fruits will provide the energy and nutrients your body needs. On the other hand, refined carbohydrates contain only empty calories with almost no nutrients. They are the reason we gain weight. Gaining weight also depends on the number of calories you consume every day and not the time you take them. Consume fewer calories than you spend during the day. It is as simple as that. This rule also applies to the myth that you don’t need to watch your calorie intake if you exercise. No matter how hard you work, you will gain weight if you consume more calories than you burn.
You need extra amounts of protein for your muscles to grow
Although protein plays a vital role in the recovery and growth of your muscles after training, likely, you do not need to consume additional protein. According to some studies, the average American consumes twice as much protein as needed.
Listen to your body. If you feel hungry, eat a healthy snack, but don’t eat before or after training just because someone said you have to. It is necessary to find the right meal plan for yourself. Don’t follow meal plans you found online or in a magazine.
Strength training makes women look bulky
Most women avoid lifting weights because they think it might make them look bulky. That’s another one of the fitness myths you need to stop believing. The reason men have a more muscular body is a hormone called testosterone. Testosterone builds muscle mass by increasing protein production in them. Woman’s bodies produce ten times less testosterone than men’s. Because of this, women cannot develop as big muscles as men.
Weightlifting is especially significant for women. With age, women become more prone to osteoporosis. Muscle activity stimulates bones to produce more bone tissue. As a result, bones become denser, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Long hours of steady-state cardio are the key to weight loss
Cardio will help with weight loss in the beginning. But if we only do cardio exercises, the body will begin to burn muscle, which will slow down your metabolism and reduce bone density, which can push you away from your goal but is also potentially dangerous. A combination of cardio and strength training is most effective for weight loss and body shaping. And that’s why you should head to the gym as soon as possible.
But if a gym doesn’t seem like a good solution, you can consider building one in your home. Your home gym doesn’t have to be expensive. The cost will largely depend on the equipment you plan to use. It will also depend on the money you have to invest in customizing the space in which you plan to house your home gym. In return, you will save money on gas money and membership cards. The advantages of a home gym are the privacy you have in your own space, availability 24/7, and no endless waiting to use the equipment.
Longer training gives better results
It’s not about the length of your training. It’s about the intensity. Shorter intense workouts are more effective at burning fat, and you’ll reach your weight loss goal faster.
Likewise, many think training is not good if there is no muscle pain afterward. The truth is that exercise does not have to be painful to be effective. Although you can expect some soreness after starting a new exercise regimen, doing too much too soon can increase the risk of injury. Start slowly. Do exercises that are compatible with your current health and fitness. If you aren’t sure what training program is best for you, consider hiring a personal trainer.
No. 1 myth: You have to be flexible to do yoga.
A common fitness myth is that you have to be flexible to start doing yoga, which is not valid. Of course, it will be much easier in the beginning if your body is flexible, but that isn’t a necessity. You will gain flexibility over time doing yoga. Also, there is yoga for beginners that will surely help you with everything you need to know of.
Final words
Make exercise a part of your everyday life since it’s good for your mental and physical health. But, to maintain your fitness, you need to educate yourself more on that topic. What things should you or should not do? Which sources of information should you believe? We hopefully succeeded in debunking common fitness myths you need to stop believing in, which was our goal.
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