Fitness is not a series of singular truths that work for everyone. In fact, the same holds true for weight loss overall. It's not about avoiding deadly
diet mistakes and signing up for the latest trendy class that everyone in Instagram's #fitfam can't seem to get enough of. It
is about getting to know your body, knowing your goals, and knowing it make take a little bit longer than you expect to find out what works to get you there. This list, adapted from a
Refinery 29 article, includes five commonly circulated fitness myths that we felt we needed to clear up.
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| Source: refinery29.com |
Myth #1: Muscle weighs more than fat. A pound of feathers weighs the same as a pounds of bricks: One pound. The question is the amount of space that each requires to reach a pound. Fat has about a third of the densisty of a muscle, which is why resistance-based training is key to create the body composition you want, not just lose weight without getting healthier.
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| Source: refinery29.com |
Myth #2: All you need is cardio. Cardio is fantastic, but so are strength and flexibility training. And to constantly challenge your body and continue improving your fitness level, you'll need to cross train.
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| Source: refinery29.com |
Myth #3: Don't work out at night. You benefit from exercise no matter what time of day you're able to squeeze it in. Check out this
2013 National Sleep Foundation study that literally busted the myth that exercise, even at vigorous level, has a negative effect on sleep quality. If working out at night is your only option, it's much better than no workout at all.
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| Source: refinery29.com |
Myth #4: High intensity exercise is best. True for a few. But it's not best for every body and every goal. There's a lot of research out there that supports high-intensity exercise for becoming leaner and stronger; but if that's not your goal, this isn't necessarily your workout. Variety is always best, in our opinion, the best exercise programs mix it up with a combination of high- and low- intensity training sessions.
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| Source: refinery29.com |
Myth #5: It's not a real workout unless you're sweating and sore afterwards. No. A real workout is the one that works for your interest and your goals and makes you feel good. Whether or not wake up and can't walk down the stair. Find
a workout you enjoy and get moving in a way that works for you.
Did any of these surprise you? What would you add to the list? Let us know in a comment!
