dazed and confused in the world of fitness? We've got you covered with:five fitness myths debunked
The explosive movement in society towards fitness, health and self-bettering has flooded the internet with information. Each week new exercises are invented, new fad diets are trending, and every influencer advocates for their own fitness “Do’s and Don’ts”. The sheer amount of dietary and fitness material on offer makes it hard to discern fact from fiction, especially for beginners.
But fear not, as we have gathered five popular fitness myths and debunked them for you. Exercise your mind now with five basic facts that will aid your progress in the future.
Myth 1: Cardio is the Holy Grail for Weight Loss
One of the biggest myths in the world of fitness is that the only way to lose weight is to do a large, exhausting amount of cardio. Too many of us can relate to this guy, dreading the idea of putting on your trainers and just sweating it out on the treadmill for hours.
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The science behind losing weight tells us that the main principle is to burn more calories than you consume throughout the day. Aerobic exercises such as running and high intensity interval training (HIIT) obviously burn calories, but they are not the “be all and end all”. Circuit and strength training also increase your metabolic rate, trigger increased calorie burning and strengthen your muscle tissue . In simple terms, if you incorporate both cardio and targeted exercises into your routine, pair this with proper nutrition and forget the treadmill tears, you will be on the right track!
Myth 2: Lifting Weights will Make You Bulky
This has to be our least favourite fitness myth in existence, not just because it is false, but because it steers so many people away from a group of exercises that have so many health benefits.
Lifting weights challenges your body by making use of all of your energy and movement systems. Regular and appropriate weight lifting can improve your heart health, boost your metabolism, minimise the risk of injuries, enhance your posture and will make you stronger!
"Getting big" in the gym is the result of long-term specific targeted training, lots of extra calories, extra protein and hard work – and it almost never happens by accident.
Don't believe us? See for yourself in Buff Dude's 'Gym Myths - Fact or Fiction?'
Lift weights that are appropriate for you, reap the health rewards and stop worrying about building unwanted bulk muscles (unless you are specifically training for that!).
Myth 3: No Pain, No Gain
There is a common misconception that in order for a workout to be worthwhile you must have felt crippled during, after or several days afterwards.
Beginners, or people returning to exercise after a (well-deserved 💅) break, often feel DOMS, which is the delayed onset of muscle soreness, as they introduce themselves to new exercises.
As your body starts to adapt, the soreness starts to decrease and people often wonder if their workout is doing anything?
In fact, it is! Just because you are not "feeling the burn" does not mean that your body is not being challenged and making healthy changes. Rather than judging a workout based on how sore you feel afterwards, track your progress using reps, load and how much you enjoyed the workout.
Myth 4: Carbs are the Enemy
The amount of fad diets grappling for people’s attention is growing exponentially. The original weight loss craze was "low-fat, low-carb" but things since have advanced. From "Pegan" (a mixture of paleo-vegan), which cuts out dairy, meat and gluten and focuses on sustaining a diet of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, to juice cleanses which cut out solid foods completely – the internet has tried and tested it all!
Cutting out an entire food group, unless medically advised, can put stress on your body to recover and can undo all of the good work your exercising has done.
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How much carbohydrates you need in your diet depends on your activity level – the more you move, the more you need!
Eating in a balanced way will give your body all the nutrients that it needs to perform. Head over to Vice where they further debunk our fourth myth and explain how you can feel fit and healthy without cutting out your favourite foods!
Myth 5: You Need a Basic Level of Fitness to Join a Gym
Our fifth and final myth that we are delighted to debunk is one that hinders so many of us from starting to work out or to join a gym. We often think that there is base level of fitness that needs to be achieved before we can even think of stepping foot into a gym. We think that if we’re not fit or strong in some shape or form, we will embarrass ourselves.
This is far from reality.
In fact, it is more likely that when you join a gym your whole perspective on what is fit and strong and what is not, will be redefined. You’ll see that there is nothing you need to join a gym other than determination, some basic knowledge and a membership of course! A good place to start is by following a YouTube workout. Check out our other blog by clicking the button below and kickstart your fitness journey - you've got this!
Advice on how to get fit, stay healthy and feel better about yourself can often be confusing but we have exposed the simple truths for you. Now that we’ve sifted out five main facts from all the fitness fiction, you can go forth armed with information and do your curls in confidence!
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