Keeping in shape is important for your health, but when there are so many trends around telling you what you should and shouldn’t be doing, how can you be sure that your fitness routine is working for you? Continue reading to find out if you’ve been following five of the most popular fitness myths.
1. The more the merrier – You work out every day. You put in two hours of cardio and another two hours of weight training. You are at the gym so often that everyone knows you by name. While that may seem great, in reality, you could be overtraining and working yourself too hard without an adequate rest period for your body to recover. Overtraining can lead to injuries and further complications down the road, so it is important to find balance in your fitness regimen while giving your body some time to rest and recover.
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2. Weight training will make you bulky – Some may avoid the strength training and resistance training sections at their gym for fear of bulking up too much. However, strength training will actually help you achieve stronger and leaner muscles, leaving you toned but not bulky. Focusing solely on cardio may actually cause you to lose strength and muscle tone, so pick up those weights and get to work!
3. Carbs are bad – Complex carbs like the ones found in fresh fruit, brown rice, potatoes, and hummus are actually essential to the proper functioning of your body. They are the body’s main source of energy and are necessary for your brain to work properly – without these carbs you’d be left drowsy and sluggish. However, there are carbs that should be avoided, known as simple carbs. These carbs are found in baked goods like cakes and cookies, and are mostly sugar.
4. Cardio should be done on an empty stomach – You may think that performing your cardio routine before eating anything is a good way to lose weight, as you are burning calories you haven’t even consumed yet. In theory, it may seem great, but in reality, your body needs fuel to perform its best. Not eating before working out causes your body to burn protein and muscle, as it has no carbohydrates for energy.
5. Running should exhaust you – The majority of your running should actually be done at a moderate pace that allows for conversation. Running all out until you are exhausted and heaving can result in less consistent runs as you need more time to recover. Instead, you should focus on keeping your run short and easy to allow your body to recover faster so you may run more frequently.
Managing your diet and exercise routine may have become an increasingly difficult task. With new fitness trends and fads cropping up all the time, it is hard to keep everything straight. As you can see in these five myths, an effective workout and balanced diet can help you manage your weight and achieve better health.
