Don’t Buy into These Exercise Myths

                                                                                         

The past decade or so has seen an explosion of research about nutrition,
exercise and the human body. Some of this research has confirmed what we already
knew—things like, a healthy diet and regular exercise make you live long and
prosper.  Some research, however, has proven that some “common wisdom” about
exercise is just plain wrong.  Here are ten myths that you don’t want to buy
into.

1.      Lifting weights makes you bulk up.  Actually, this is true—if you are
male.  Women don’t have the biochemistry necessary to develop big, bulky
muscles.  They will get stronger, but not bulkier.

2.      It’s inevitable to gain weight as you age.  False.  People gain weight
as they age because they become more sedentary and their metabolic rate drops.
 Weight gain is not inevitable.

3.      Fat people are not fit, so you have to lose weight before you can get in
shape.  False again.  Fitness has to do with flexibility, muscle strength and
endurance and cardiovascular endurance, not with how fat you are.  Fat people
may not look fit, but some are in pretty good shape.  Getting in shape will also
help you lose weight faster because it makes your body burn calories faster.

4.      No pain, no gain.  Absolutely not.  You should not hurt before, during
or after exercise.  Some mild, transient muscle soreness may occur the first few
times you work out, but it should not persist.

5.      If you don’t exercise regularly, there’s no point in exercising at all.
 Nope, not true.  Of course, it’s ideal to exercise regularly, but anything at
all is better than nothing at all.

6.      Old people can’t exercise.  Exercise has definite benefits for older
people.  If you have health problems or haven’t exercised in a while, though,
you should check with your doctor and discuss what kind of exercise will be most
beneficial for you.  There may be some kinds of exercise you should avoid.

7.      You can get a flat tummy (or butt or firm thighs, etc) by working those
muscles.  This one is true—sort of.  If you are lean and trim, you can improve
the appearance of your tummy or tush with resistance training.  If, however, you
have a thick layer of fat over your abs and gluts, your tummy won’t get flat.
 It will, however, get strong, and that will help your posture and prevent back
injuries.

8.      Always stretch before exercising.  Recent research indicates that
stretching before a workout doesn’t do any good, and may even limit your
performance slightly.

9.      Everybody benefits from exercise.  True, in some ways.  Everybody does
get some benefit from exercise.  But not everybody gets the same benefit.
 People have a range of different responses to exercise; Mr. Universe may be
able to build big, sculpted muscles while Mr. Milquetoast may never be able to
lift more than 50 pounds and just gets “wiry.”

10.     You can’t exercise if…..  Just about everybody can do some kind of
exercise.  They do passive exercises on people who are unconscious and on
breathing machines in the hospital, for pete’s sake.  Many people have exercise
limitations, but everybody benefits from moving about a little bit.

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