Exercise Myths
Just as in any form of activity, misinformation in exercise can give you frustrating results, lead you to a serious injury, and will keep you on thinking that exercising isn't such a fun and beneficial activity to do. That's why in this article, we will be discussing some common Exercise Myths and misconceptions to help you move away from them and be able to exercise efficiently and less prone to injuries.
The Myth of the Million and One Stomach Crunches
First off is the myth of doing a million crunches everyday to have six-pack abs. Alright, we're exaggerating with the million crunches thing, but the thing is that the crunches themselves won't make your abdominal muscles stick out. The truth behind this is that, doing stomach crunches merely develops the muscles in that area, but with inches and inches of fat covering them, there's no way you will be able to see the result of your efforts.
So what are you to do then? Well, go on with those crunches, but at the same time work out more on cardiovascular exercises and have a proper diet that cuts on the fat. Doing cardiovascular exercises can help you lose fat in the abdominal area and throughout your body for that matter. At the same time, cutting on fatty foods guarantees you that the chances of the fats coming back are greatly lessened.
The advice doesn't only apply to your abs. Called spot training, focusing only on one part of your body won't guarantee that it will be chiseled after a while. Only the total body workout that involves cardiovascular exercises, proper diet, and resistance training can give you the results that you want.
The Myth of No Pain, No Gain
Some people think that they aren't training hard enough unless their bodies start to ache. Just like other myths, this claim is baseless and could lead to disastrous results. One of those results is injury. Remember that pain is a sign that you're doing something wrong and if you feel pain when doing something, stop.
What you can do to prevent this is to pace yourself in a level that you can handle. There's no point in pushing yourself too hard if it will only result to a lifelong pain in any part of your body. When the time comes for you to move to the next level, it should have the feeling of being able to conquer something, that is, your former level of fitness, rather than a painful experience.
The Myth of Exercising Until the Sun Rises
People who get the thrill of working too much are called workaholics while those who exercise too much are, well, exercisaholics, if there's such a word. Anyway, invented words aside, keep in mind that doing something too much can give undesirable results. Moderation is the key to success in exercising as with any activity.
Get some rest. There's no point in working yourself out everyday because it can only lead to injury. Give your muscles at least a day off to recover and to rebuild itself. If you're into weight training, you should know that taking a day off is the time when the muscle 'grows'. So instead of working out from Monday to Friday, give yourself time to recover and make your schedule into Monday, Wednesday, and Friday instead. And no, you shouldn't make it an excuse to try to make up for the Tuesdays and Thursdays you lost, either. Again, get some rest and try to do something else.
What we have discussed are only some of the common myths and misconceptions in exercising. To sum it up, keep in mind that working out will not give you great results. Try to learn to pace yourself until you feel ready to get yourself to the next fitness level. Getting fit isn't a race so try to do things at your own pace. Finally, combine cardiovascular exercises, resistance training, and proper nutrition evenly into your fitness program and you are sure to be on the way to success!
|
|
|
|
|