10 Fitness Myths - Debunked

1. Burn up to (insert #) calories in a single class. 

Calorie burn varies from person to person for any given activity. Factors such as age, height, body weight, fitness and overall exertion must be taken into consideration. Men also tend to burn more calories than women at any given time. Hey ladies, no one said life was fair!
 

2. If you are training for an endurance sport you should only do that type of cardio. While the majority of your training should be sport specific, you gotta do some strength or resistance moves at least a couple of times per week. Don't slack on stretching either, aim for a couple of flexibility and foam rolling sessions twice a week. Strength can be done on your shorter endurance days and flexibility & foam rolling on the longer days or on rest days.
 

3. You can spot reduce certain areas by doing extra work or only working on that area. An extra set of crunches will help you gain core strength. But if you're looking for a six pack, chances are you already have one but it's covered under fat. Do a total body strength routine to build muscle, and add cardio to burn fat. 
 

4. You can make up for a bad diet with exercise. Exercising is great for lowering your risk of getting many diseases, getting stronger and increasing energy levels. But if you are exercising and not watching what you’re eating you may not be getting the results you are looking for. Stay on track with tools like My Fitness Pal.

 
5. No Pain No Gain. Yes, there's gonna be some discomfort in exercise especially if you've just started. Although, if you're finding the pain is constant and begins to interfere with your normal life maybe consider adding some rest days or lowering the weight and/or reps you are doing. Usually pain is your body telling you it needs some recovery. Not listening, could lead to injury.

 
6. Stretch before you begin exercising. You should warm up and include dynamic stretches that keep your body moving. Static or still stretching should be saved for after your workout.  

 
7. You can replace exercise shoes once per year. The life you get out of a shoe depends on how often you wear them and for what. Walking miles from the store also count! Generally, you can get about 500 miles of walking or running out of them. If you notice the tread on the sole is getting worn, the heel on one side is getting worn or there’s wrinkles in the side or the bottom of the shoe it’s probably time for a new pair. Not replacing them could increase your risk of aches and injuries.
 

8. Lifting weights will make you look hefty. Actually, adding muscle could add pounds to the scale, but because muscle is denser than fat you’ll slide into those clothes easier. Go ahead and pick up a weight that really challenges you when you lift it!

 
9. Running is bad for your knees. Keeping leg and hip muscles strong to support the motion of running in addition to finding proper running shoes that work with your unique foot bio-mechanics will keep you safely running for years. This Stanford study showed long distance running among healthy older individuals was not associated with the progression of knee osteoarthritis.
 

10. Fitness is expensive. You don’t need a fancy gym with posh fitness classes to get in shape. A decent pair of shoes to exercise in, and a small space in your home or outdoors is enough to get in a great workout. Add a few inexpensive items such as a resistance tube and exercise ball and your set. Eating healthy also doesn’t have to be expensive. Frozen fruit and veggies added with legumes, wholegrain rice and pastas are all budget friendly. With the rising prices of meat products, tofu and eggs are definitely a more affordable protein alternative. Now, who’s up for prepping for a meatless Monday?