In today’s day and age, we are constantly hearing about new fitness trends, new fitness myths, new fitness miracles, new weight-loss methods, and the list goes on. People are constantly looking for the easy way out when it comes to weight loss. Whether it be a miracle diet, miracle diet pills, or a miracle workout routine, there are constantly new claims being made. The unfortunate truth behind it is these weight-loss miracles “solutions,” don’t exist, and are typically just a scam for someone to make money. The problem is, people keep falling for it. If you truly want to lose weight or get it shape, and keep it off or stay in shape, the answer is hard work and dedication when it comes to your diet and exercise routines. Make sure you keep it real, and in the meantime, we will debunk 8 fitness myths you may have fallen for.

1. You have to stretch before you begin your exercise

This is actually one of the biggest and wide-spread workout myths out there. We have been told for a long time, even since middle school P.E., that we need to be stretching before we engage in sport’s activities or working out. But there have actually been studies completed that found that stretching before a workout doesn’t aid in decreasing your soreness post work out. Actually, it has been found that stretching before a work out can actually cause your body more harm or make your body more prone to injury. How? Well, you can potentially strain your muscles more by stretching them before they are warmed up. We aren’t encouraging you to not stretch, but instead to rather warm up for about 10 minutes before you do to avoid muscle strain or injury.

2. When there is no pain, there is no gain

This has become a motivational slogan for people working out everywhere, but it turns out it actually isn’t true. Sure, discomfort and fatigue are a natural part of many workouts, but that doesn’t mean you should be in pain. In fact, if you feel pain during a workout, this is your body’s way of telling you to slow down or stop altogether.

3. Women shouldn’t lift heavy weights unless they want to be bulky

The truth is that men are naturally bulkier when they lift weights because of the combination of various hormones in their body as well as their diet. Frankly, it is pretty difficult for a woman to obtain a bulky figure without trying to via excessive heavy lifting alongside immense levels of protein intake, etc. And even with that, it is still difficult for women to obtain that bulky figure. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate, and the more calories your body will burn naturally throughout the day.

4. You need to wait an hour after eating before you swim

This myth came from the belief that if your body was busy digesting food, it wouldn’t have the energy for the rest of your body to keep up while swimming and your muscles would cramp up and you wouldn’t be able to stay afloat. But, this just isn’t true.  Our bodies are advanced enough to complete both tasks, and it is just fine to hop in the pool right after a light meal.

5. My workout doesn’t count unless it is long

A lot of recent studies have found how beneficial short workouts can be. And mini or short workouts (say for 10 minutes) three times a day are just as effective as if you did all of it together in a 30-minute workout. The only thing you need to remember is that if you are completing your workouts this way, then they need to be high intensity.

6. If I am working out then I can eat whatever I want

Unfortunately, if you want to lose weight or maintain a certain weight, your workout routines need to coincide with your diet routine. You need to remember how much you are burning relative to how much you are eating. Although, if you do have a balanced workout regimen, remember that it is okay to splurge here and there, perhaps once a week.

7. Morning is the best time of the day to work out

The truth is, as long as you are working out at all you are doing your body good. All that matters is that you pick a time that works for you in order to make sure you are actually able to get that workout into your busy schedule.

8. The scale isn’t going down, I must not be making progress

A lot of people make the mistake of obsessing over the scale. The truth is that you can be losing fat and gaining muscle and stay the same weight but be making immense progress. Many people even go up in weight when they are getting into shape, but the numbers aren’t what matter. Remember that muscle is more compact than fat and much denser, and fat takes up a lot more space at the same weight as muscle.

If you are looking for an awesome 24-hour Arlington and Bedford gym, here at Fitness Nation we are just that. Let our team of fitness experts help address any fitness questions you may have! Contact us or come by today and let’s get started on a healthier, happier you.