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Six workout and training myths
It’s new year – which means it’s time to think about your resolutions! For many people that involves getting back into working out. Unfortunately, many people live with misapprehensions about fitness regimes and training which can lead to them making mistakes or giving up altogether. Here are six workout and training myths and misconceptions as well as the truth behind them.
Myth: Results can be achieved training once or twice a week
Some people believe that if they put in one or two sessions at the gym a week, they will start to see immediate results. The truth is that while there’s no doubt that a double dose of gym sessions per week will be good for your health, you shouldn’t expect to see any major changes to your body. It typically takes between 3 and 5 work out sessions every week to make a marked difference.
Myth: Work out every day
Along the same lines, another myth is that you need to work out every day to see changes. As discussed, you do need to work out at least a few times per week, but you shouldn’t assume that you need to be at the gym every day. In fact, this can be counterproductive – you need to give your body chance to rest and recuperate between sessions.
Myth: You can focus on losing weight from certain areas of the body
If you want to rid yourself of belly fat, you should focus on crunches – right? Sadly, it’s not as simple as that. In fact, it’s not really possible to work on a specific area of the body where you want to lose weight. The body attempts to distribute fat as evenly as possible – although certain parts tend to get greater concentrations than others. That means when you lose weight you will do so across your body, regardless of the exercises you do.
Myth: Work out in the morning for the best results
Many people like to workout in the morning, and this may have led to something of a myth; that this is the best time to workout and that people can expect to burn more fat at this time. There is no ‘best’ time to work out – whether you find the time in the morning, afternoon or evening you will get the same benefit.
Myth: Sports drinks are the best way to rehydrate
It is common to see gyms with vending machines stocked full of sports drinks. Purported to help athletes replace electrolytes and energy at the same time as hydrating, you might assume that this is the best thing to be drinking during a workout. However, these drinks are full of sugar, colourants and other chemicals – it’s much healthier to simply drink water during and after your workout.
Myth: Exercise is all you need to lose weight
One common myth about working out is that that you can lose weight based purely on exercise. In fact, it is equally (if not more) important to change your eating habits. Diet is a huge contributing factor in your ability to lose weight.