Getting fit and losing weight requires hard work and exercise. When you begin any weight loss program that involves exercise, you will find that there are plenty of promises, warnings, and pieces of advice, but much of these are untrue. Here are five of the most common exercise myths.
1. Pain Leads to Gain
This is an older myth. People tend to believe that the more unpleasant the effects of a workout are, the more they will benefit you. This belief can lead to anything from soreness to incapacitating injury, both of which will just leave you where you started. Most effective workouts will leave you a little sore afterwards, but if you are in pain, see a doctor. The best bet is to take your workouts at a pace that you can handle to avoid injuries. This will ensure, not only your safety, but also enable you to stick to your weight loss plan.
2. Lifting Weights = Bulky Muscles in Women
You may have seen pictures of female body builders. They usually have bulging biceps, extremely defined abdominal muscles, and sometimes protruding veins. In short, they can look masculine, and this effect can turn away other women who want to train with weights. The good news is that it simply is not possible for a woman to bulk up like a man. To achieve bulky muscles, a woman usually will consume muscle building compounds or chemicals and work out more than once a day. Women should feel free to take advantage of the benefits that come with weight lifting, because they will only tone up.
3. Exercise Means Extra Calories to Spend
It is easy to believe that if you have had a good, strenuous workout, you can eat whatever you want for lunch or dinner. However, eating a high-calorie meal after exercising just replaces the calories that you burned. To lose a pound, you have to burn 3500 calories. Your body may be getting fitter, but you may not be losing pounds or losing weight. In addition to exercising, you need to eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
4. Lose Fifteen Pounds in One Day!
This may be possible, but most people who resort to quick weight loss programs also very quickly will usually gain it back. Because fast weight loss is often achieved by drastically reducing calories, reintroducing the same amount of food means that the body will hold onto the calories that it was missing before, and weight gain will occur. If you want to lose weight, eat healthy and exercise. The weight may take longer to come off, but it will also be less likely to return.
5. The Gym is Your Only Hope
Many people join gyms because of the structure and atmosphere that a gym provides. There are expensive machines, good classes, and trainers available at gyms that can help you stay on track. But if you are just going to the gym to use the equipment, why not save money and make a gym at home? You do not have to have a treadmill and weight machines. There are many aerobic workouts that you can do at home, and you can always purchase dumbbells to use. Buy some good walking shoes or a jump rope to take full advantage of the benefits of these exercises and lose pounds.
Exercise myths will probably always be around, but by informing yourself and carefully looking at your weight loss plan, you can ensure you are making the right healthy choices. The key is healthy eating and exercise. You will benefit from your lifestyle change in much more ways than weight loss.
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