It’s time to set the record straight about ten common exercise myths and rethink any you may still live by. Many of us have been influenced by them in some way. But it may even come as a surprise to learn that most of these popular misconceptions are not backed up with scientific evidence.
The American Council on Exercises says it best, “Fitness myths have always and will likely continue to plague the industry and confuse even the most experienced fitness fan. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
Myth 1: Wearing a waist trainer or plastic suit helps you lose weight.
While waist trainers can temporarily slim the waist, they don’t cause permanent changes or lead to meaningful weight loss. Any weight loss may be due to sweating out fluids instead of fat or because the trainer compresses your stomach and makes you eat less. This is not a viable, sustainable way to lose weight. Waist trainers can also cause breathing difficulties, digestion issues, and organ damage if worn long-term. However, Harvard Health says that waist trainers can be helpful if a doctor recommends temporary use after certain surgeries to help rebuild core muscles.
According to Boxing Science, wearing a sauna suit won’t increase your metabolism, especially while resting. When you wear a sauna suit you will sweat to maintain your body temperature and possibly lose water weight, but you won’t burn any more fat than without it.
FACT: Waist trainers/sauna suits will make you sweat, but they do not help you lose fat.
Myth 2: Lifting heavy weights makes you bulky.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Research confirms that women can and should lift weights (including heavy ones) without fearing becoming more than healthy, toned and strong.”
Women have lower testosterone levels than men, making it harder to build muscle mass. The key is to focus on lifting heavy weights with low reps. This type of lifting activates muscle growth without triggering the release of excess testosterone. Unlike cardio, building strength and lean muscle mass increases your metabolic rate at rest, your body’s ability to burn more calories.
Fact: Lifting heavy weight does increase muscle mass, strength, and size. However, excessive body fat is to blame for men’s and women’s “bulky” looks. Heavy weight training helps build muscle, increase metabolism, and lose body fat.
Myth 3: Crunches/Sit-ups (or spot training/targeted workouts) help you lose belly fat.
As much as we want to believe it, you cannot target fat loss in specific areas of your body. When you lose weight, you lose it from all over your body, not just one specific area. Exercises targeting a specific area, such as crunches for abs, can help strengthen and tone that part of your core, but it will not necessarily reduce fat in that area.
There’s a saying: Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. It’s simply impossible to “burn off” fat in one body part by exercising.
If you want to reveal hidden abs, your best bet is to reduce your body fat percentage through sustainable healthy eating habits and a strength training exercise routine. You will have to do various exercises that target muscles around your entire trunk, including in your core, abdominals, and back.
FACT: Crunches are a popular exercise for strengthening your core, but they are not the best way to get those fab abs. Doing too many crunches can lead to back pain and poor posture.
Myth 4: Muscle weighs more than fat.
Lean tissue weighs more than fat tissue is a common misstatement. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 1 lb of lean muscle tissue weighs 16 oz, as does 1 lb of fat tissue.
FACT: Muscle tissue is dense; fat tissue takes up more space or volume than muscle, but their weight is the same.
Myth 5: My muscle turns to fat if I stop working out.
Nope. Muscles do not turn fat when you stop exercising. Simply put, muscle and fat cells are entirely different tissues. More specifically, muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue and functions differently in the body.
The National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) helps clarify this common misconception. “Without consistent regular strength training and proper nutrition to build muscle, there is a much greater chance of body fat increasing. This is not because your muscles turned to fat. It’s because the ideal environment was created for fat stores to grow and the worst opportunity for the muscle to develop.”
FACT: When you stop exercising, your muscles can shrink and weaken (atrophy), leaving room for fat tissue to replace them. It can cause a shift of fat-to-muscle ratio in your body, but the muscle does not become fat.
Myth#6: Early morning is the best time to work out.
This myth that early morning exercise is the gold standard is compelling. But if you’re more of a night owl than an early bird, having the energy output for an effective morning may not be best for you.
The most important part of developing an effective exercise routine is to find a time of day that works for you and stick to it.
The NIH explains that consistent exercise timing, especially morning exercise, may facilitate greater exercise intensity, help to protect your exercise time, make planning easier, and foster good exercise habits.
While few studies definitively prove that exercising in the morning increases your metabolism more than other times of the day, some people choose to start the day with a workout for the myriad health benefits: body & mind, elevate their mood, reach step goals or because it just makes them feel great for the rest of the day.
FACT: The best time to work out is the time that works for you.
Myth 7: Squats are bad for the knees.
Squats are highly effective at strengthening the knee joint and surrounding muscles when executed with proper form and without pain. Lower body strength can help prevent and recover from common knee injuries.
However, squats can be painful and irritating for people with conditions like a runner’s knee, osteoarthritis, or meniscus tears. Poor execution can also increase the strain on your knees and lead to injury.
NASM breaks it down for us. “Although many variations of the squat exist, some truths will always prevail – maintain your knee/foot alignment, ensure hinging and timing of forward knee translation, facilitate adequate ankle mobility to avoid dysfunction, maintain a rigid pelvis (sacrum, thoracic spine, and head) and aim to achieve parallel alignment between your tibia and trunk.”
Finding the best squat for you is what’s important. Consider gradual progression from seated squats to ball or wall squats to develop the strength required to perform the stand-alone version.
FACT: Squats are not bad for your knees. Improper squat form is bad for your knees.
Myth 8: Running will make you fit.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines health-related physical fitness as a set of attributes people have or achieve that allow them to perform physical activity. It also includes the ability to perform daily activities with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue, and with enough energy to enjoy leisure activities and handle emergencies.
Running is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health and burn calories efficiently, but just running won’t necessarily make you fit.
Not only that, running is not for everyone and not the only way to achieve whatever your definition of being fit may be.
FACT: Running or other cardiovascular activities combined with strength training and a proper nutrition plan create a well-rounded fitness routine for optimal fitness.
Myth 9: Stretching before a workout will prevent injuries and soreness.
Are you surprised? It turns out that stretching a healthy muscle before exercise does not prevent injury or soreness. Harvard researchers found no evidence that static stretching before or after a workout prevented injuries or sped recovery (or did anything useful).
Theoretically, stretching before exercises should make the muscles more pliable and less likely to tear. However, studies that compared injury or muscle soreness rates in people who stretch before exercise and those who don’t found little benefit to stretching. Studies suggest stretching a cold, tight muscle could lead to injury.
FACT: The most effective type of stretching before a workout is a dynamic series of exercises involving the whole body, large muscles, and multiple joints. The goal is to activate the muscles you will use during the workout. It is worth mentioning that there is no evidence that static stretching at the end of the workout, during the cool-down portion, does any harm.
Myth 10: Longer workouts are more effective than short ones.
The quality of a workout is more important than its length. Pushing yourself to do longer workouts can lead to overtraining, which can cause injuries, imbalances, and a loss of motivation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a combination of vigorous and moderate aerobic activity and two or more muscle-strengthening workouts weekly.
FACT: A consistent, balanced approach to fitness that includes strength training, cardio, rest, and recovery is critical to achieving your personal fitness goal.
This story is made possible by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk.
