Myths and Facts Regarding Exercise:
This blog post is going to educate you on some myths that people have had about exercise. The overarching goal of this blog is to get people to exercise (find out more info in my first blog post), so by identifying and debunking some myths, hopefully this will be helpful for you. In a recent blog post, I told you all about what sources to stay away from, and which sources to count on. Now, I’ll go through myths and what to believe.
Myth #1: Exercising as an older adult is pointless and does more harm than good.
FALSE: Exercise can still be adopted, even at an old age. According to a study done by Alison Kirk, if you exercise in a safe way, it is extremely beneficial to overall health and contributes to more strength and balance, which prevents falls in older adults.
Myth #2: You have to join a gym or get a trainer to start exercising.
FALSE: Any form of activity is exercise! Even walking counts!
Myth #3: Exercising in the morning will help you burn calories all day long.
FALSE: After you exercise, you will continue to burn about 10-25 calories, but soon your body will return to its pre-workout state. According to the Journal of Physiology, working out at 3pm is just as effective as working out at 7am.
Myth #4: Aerobic workouts are more important than strength training.
FALSE: Both are equally important. Strength training limits your chances of osteoporosis later in life and helps maintain lean muscle mass, which means you will have a higher metabolism.
Myth #5: If you exercise, you need to take supplements.
FALSE: If you are eating a balanced diet, supplements are not necessary. I always see the boys in the gym with their protein shakes. This is not harmful, it’s just simply not necessary when working out.
Myth #6: Stretch before you exercise.
FALSE: Stretch after you exercise! That way, your muscles will be warm and you will get more out of the stretch.
Myth #7: Fat can turn into muscle if you exercise:
FALSE: Fat and muscle are two different tissues, and one can not turn into another. You can lose fat and gain muscle if you exercise, according to LiveScience. Fat just can’t turn into muscle, the same way a banana can’t turn into a peach.
Myth #8: Doing crunches, sit ups, and other ab workouts will get you 6 pack abs.
FALSE: Ab exercises are an important component of getting abs, but diet is a huge factor as well. Strength and flexibility expert Antranik Kizirian says that ab workouts can tone your abs, but you won’t see drastic results until you add in a healthy diet.
Conclusion: Hopefully by debunking these myths, I gave you a better insight into how you want to exercise. It is so important to know what is true and what is false. For reliable and accurate information about exercise, visit the twitter page found at @tips2exercise, the ACE, or the CDC.
Now… get out there and start moving!!!
Exercise and Stay Healthy! 