3 Fitness Myths Debunked

We all want the perfect body but it doesn’t come easy, you have to put the work in! There’s a million and one great reason to get in shape: improved health, greater physical strength or a more toned physique but it’s not easy. If we’re taking on the expense of gym memberships, finding the time to fit a run in after work, and feel that burn we at least want to know we’re doing it right; if you’re getting in shape for summer make sure you bare a few tightly held secrets in mind so you can stun on the beach and get the most out of your workout.

No Pain No Gain

False, false, and false; judging the impact of your workout on how sore it makes you during and after is the wrong way to go. The soreness you feel comes from a variety of factors, from your work out methods to the food you ingest before and after, but has no bearing on the impact on your body. In fact, the aches and pains you might be feeling can come from neglect!

Exercise shouldn’t be a punishment, it should be about taking care of yourself. Just as eating a nutritious diet and getting enough sleep make you feel better overall so does proper exercise, using foam rolling and stretching warms your body down after a workout so you’re not left in pain and can go about your life as normal.

Rather than judging the success of your workout by the amount of burn you feel, judge it by your heart rate. Wear a monitor and aim to get your heart working between 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate to see the real impact of your training.

Weight Training Bulks You Up

We shy away from weights, we want our waistlines going down, not up! But here we are, wrong again. Bodybuilding and weight training are not the same things, bodybuilders use sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and eat copious amounts of food to bulk up their muscles, not simple weight training.

Bulkiness can be attributed to 2 simple things: training methods and diet. Following (a) weight training routine and eating healthily will reduce fat, tone your muscles, and increase your core strength, that’s it!

Weight training isn’t so scary and is essential if you want to change your body, not only that but the long term health benefits are insurmountable, especially as it is proven to reduce your risk of suffering from degenerative diseases like osteoporosis in later life.

I Just Don’t Have the Time

You don’t have to hit the gym for hours at a time to get into shape, in fact, it can be detrimental to your work out. You need to build up the length of your work out over time rather than jumping right in, if you can only do 5 minutes on a treadmill that’s fine for now, your stamina will improve the longer you’re in training. The optimum work out time is 45 minutes to an hour, any more than that and you risk tiring yourself out and overworking your muscles, if you’re tired and in pain, you won’t be working at your full capacity so take a break! Your exercise time is your time, something you enjoy, so stick to the pace that suits you best.

A Leisurely Stroll Is All I Need

A brisk walk is healthy and great but it won’t change your body. If you want to improve your overall cardiac health and get see a leaner, more toned you in the meantime the best thing to do is find a routine that incorporates cardio, aerobic, resistance, and flexibility. Getting your heart rate pumping on a run is a great way to exercise but if you don’t have the time for the cross country getting on a treadmill whenever you can build your stamina, every little bit helps.

Getting into shape is fun! The more you exercise the more you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it, so get your gym clothes on, get your heart rate pumping and say hello to a brand new you.