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Fitness and Exercise - Common Myths Exposed
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There is a huge amount of fitness, health and weight loss information available to you from a whole range of sources. There are fitness experts everywhere offering advice and tips on how to exercise, how to lose weight and how to generally improve your level of fitness.
Hearing the same information from different sources may reinforce the validity of the tips offered.
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However be aware many exercise tips you hear may well be myths. Whilst many myths may be harmless and inconsequential there are some that may be counterproductive for your own exercise goals and there are some that may actually be
potentially harmful. This article introduces some of the common exercise myths you may hear.
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Fitness Myth 1. No-pain, No-gain
This is probably the most dangerous advice that is ever offered but we've all heard it at some time or another. Whilst it is normal to feel a little tender for a few days after exercise then this is very different to having pain whilst you are exercising. If you experience pain during exercise then you either have an injury or you are doing it wrong and you should stop the activity that is causing you pain.
If you feel pain during exercise then the natural tendency should be to back-off and not try to work 'through the pain'. On a similar note, taking medications to mask the pain may do more harm than good.
Any time you experience pain that is stabbing, sharp or causes numbness then stop and consult your health care professional, be it doctor, physiotherapist, remedial massage therapist or chiropractor for example. Similarly if you have a pain that does not go away within a couple of days of the activity then again you should talk to a health care professional.
Fitness Myth 2. Ab machines will help get rid of that belly
Do you really believe those late-night informercials that using an ab-machines will get rid of your spare tyre?
In order to see those well-developed abdominal muscles then you must reduce overall levels of body fat (if you have a layer of fat over your stomach). An abdominal machine may help develop the abdominal muscles but the body stores fat in specific places. Abdominal exercises tone and tighten the underlying muscles but they don't burn the fat around your middle and it is simply not possible to spot reduce fat by specifically exercising an area of the body.
In order to reduce your waist size then you have to raise your metabolism by doing fat-burning exercises and combine with a sensible diet. A good balance of cardiovascular and strength training with low-fat diet will provide the life-style balance to eliminate that belly.
Fitness Myth 3. An aerobic workout increases you metabolism for several hours after you have finished exercising
Whilst this statement is true, it is only true to a limited extent and whilst your metabolism will function at a higher rate post exercise, the amount is less than you might imagine. For example, after an aerobic workout, you may burn only around 20 more calories for that particular day this does not take into account the calories you burn off during the exercise itself).
Fitness Myth 4. Level of post exercise soreness is not an indication of an effective workout
A lot us of use muscle soreness as a measure of how effective a workout has been. Whilst a little soreness is to be expected if you are getting back into exercise (or are changing your exercise routine), if you are still sore a few days after a workout then the chances are that you have overdone it. In addition, if you are sore after every session then you are never giving your body time to recover.
An effective warm up and stretching after exercise are the best ways to reduce and eliminate muscle soreness post exercise. If you do feel sore then take it easy for a day or two, have a remedial massage and then return to doing your exercise, albeit with a reduced intensity.
Fitness Myth 5. Eating more protein will bulk up your muscles.
If you want to bulk up, then many bodybuilders claim that you must have a high protein diet. However, adding muscle bulk depends upon two things, firstly using sufficient weight to stress the muscles beyond normal resistance levels and secondly, eating more calories than you burn.
Whilst it may seem clear that protein is the better source for building muscles, according to some Dieticians, muscles rely on calories so you need all of the food groups, carbohydrates, proteins and fats, in balance. If you diet is too high in protein then there are risks of strain on the kidneys and/or dehydration.
Fitness Myth 6. Yoga helps for all back pain
Yoga is a great exercise for the body and mind. However, it may not be suitable for all sufferers of back pain. If your back pain is purely related to muscle tightness then the yoga stretches will help. Core strength may also improved from performing good yoga postures.
However, if the back pain is related to the joints and discs then yoga (or any exercise for that matter) should only be attempted with the approval of your doctor or physiotherapist.
There are many more exercise myths that you may hear at some time or another. However, exercise and weight loss is not really that complicated so long as you just rely on your common sense, don't exercise when injured or sore and don't take it too seriously. Working up a sweat and having a balanced diet will keep you on track for good health. If you have any concerns or questions then please discuss them with your doctor, physiotherapist or other health care professional to ensure that any exercise is appropriate for you.
Any information, advice, recommendations, statements or otherwise contained herein, or in any other communication made by or attributed to Eastern Suburbs Mobile Massage Sydney and its representatives, whether oral or in writing, is not intended to replace or to be a substitute for medical advice trained by a trained physician or healthcare practitioner.
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Any information, advice, recommendations, statements or otherwise contained herein, or in any other communication made by or attributed to Eastern Suburbs Massage and its representatives, whether oral or in writing, is not intended to replace or to be a substitute for medical advice trained by a trained physician or healthcare practitioner.
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