Fitness Myths Busted

With Carnival right around the corner, everyone seems to be hankering to get in shape to take to the streets and beaches. Needless to say a lot of people have common misconceptions regarding exercising, dieting and supplements. In an effort to help you get the most out of your efforts here are a few myth busters: 

 

If I lift weights I’ll get big muscles

A lot of women share this concern. All proper fitness regimens should include strength training and cardiovascular activity. This applies to both men and women. However, there are different techniques and methods of performing exercises that make the difference between building huge muscles and just toning. For example, generally speaking, heavier weights and fewer reps work well for mass building while lighter weights and more reps are better suited for toning and achieving leanness. A fitness instructor at your gym will be able to advise you further on this.

 

As long as I break a sweat during my cardio workout I’m fine

It’s important to remember that sweating is not necessarily an indication of aerobic/cardiovascular fitness or even fat burning levels. Your body sweats as a cooling mechanism during workouts (which is why you should keep hydrated while exercising). Fitness experts have indicated that proper cardiovascular fitness is achieved by maintaining a heart rate of 55% to 85% of your Maximum Heart Rate (220 – age) for 20 – 30 minutes. 

 

Protein shakes are unnatural and only for guys bulking up

A lot of women especially are afraid of protein shakes. They believe they are only for those muscular guys at the gym. The truth is most protein shakes come from natural sources – whey, eggs, soy or casein. Once you’re working out you are forcing your muscles to work harder than they are used to. This goes for women and men. As a result of this, muscle tissues break down so that they can be rebuilt in the degree to which they have been conditioned. And to rebuild they need protein. So everyone needs protein since everyone has muscles. It’s just that some need more than others depending on the demands on their musculoskeletal system. Protein shakes are really meant to supplement your diet of protein, not to mention they are convenient to use.

 

If I skip meals I will lose weight, so it’s a good thing

Please do not do this. Your body depends on what you feed it to survive. And it has ‘learnt’ how to function optimally with the routine of meals you supply to it. When you skip meals your body (simply put) thinks it is dying and goes into survival mode. So that the next time you eat it’s going to want to conserve all energy and store the food as fat. Also you can damage your metabolism in this way. Don’t skip meals; just manage your diet.

 

All fats are bad. 

Avoid them at all cost

We all need fats. Fats help nutrient absorption, nerve transmission, maintaining cell membrane integrity etc. However, not all fats are created equal. Some fats promote our health positively while others increase our risks of heart disease. The key is to replace the bad fats with the good fats in our diet. Monounsaturated fats found in nuts, avocado and olive oil lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty Acids, seafood such as salmon as well as corn, soy and sunflower oils are high in polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Trans fats, found in many commercially packaged foods are also on the bad list. So now that you know the difference, try making a few alterations to your diet and get more of the good fats. Your health affects you and your loved ones. A proper exercise routine coupled with a healthy diet will ensure you are able to ‘jump up’ to many more Carnivals to come.