Fitness Myths

Here are five fitness myths and the facts you should know so you can choose the fitness regimen that’s right for you. Fiction: No pain; no gain. Fact: While you may feel sore a day or two after working out, you shouldn’t feel real pain. If something hurts, stop and rest. If the pain persists, don’t work through it. Talk to your doctor instead. Fiction: Lifting weights will bulk you up. Fact: Weight training forces your muscles to work 10 to 20 times more than cardio. But bulking up comes from high calorie intake. You can tone your muscles by combining weight training with a moderate diet. Fiction: If you work out every day, you can eat anything you want. Fact: If only it were true! To burn fat, you need to expend more calories than your body uses. While personal metabolisms vary, the answer is to eat a balanced diet – including on rest days – to fuel your body, and to exercise regularly to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally. Fiction: You’ll lose weight if you exercise and eat a low-carb diet. Fact: Carbs are essential if you want to do strength training, cardio or almost any sport. Without them, you won’t perform as well or recover as effectively between training sessions. Fiction: You can spot reduce one area of your body. Fact: Working out can reduce overall body fat, but you can’t control where that fat comes from. What does work is to burn as much fuel as you can with a good overall exercise program and a healthy diet.