7 fitness myths

It’s not hard to find advice about fitness and exercise. Whether it’s the guy at the gym, the clerk at GNC or the super lean host of a late night infomercial, everyone has some pointers they’re more than happy to share. Some are spot on, others are well, let’s just say dubious. Still, some myths seem to hang on. Let’s take a look at some of those myths.

1) Spot training reduces fat in specific areas: False. Yes, you can spot train to tone certain areas, but you really can’t lose fat in specific spots that way. Fat loss is an overall process. We lose fat when the body burns it as fuel, such as during a cardio workout. The body doesn’t go get fat from just where you want; it uses fat from wherever it is available.

2) Never exercise right after eating: False. This seems like an extension of the myth about not swimming for 30 minutes after eating. Depending on your goals, not only is it ok to eat before training, sometimes it’s actually advisable. That doesn’t mean you should eat a full meal before taking a 40 mile bike ride, but consuming protein before a work out if you are trying to gain muscle mass if advisable. Consuming some protein and carbs before and during an endurance workout can be the right way to go too. Do some research and keep in mind that your specific goals and what activity you are engaging in can make the answer change.

3) Morning is always the best time to work out: Not always. A lot times, it is true, but there are exceptions. It’s far better to exercise in the afternoon or evening if that’s your only available option than to not work out at all. Keep in mind too that we aren’t all the same. Some people just respond better at different times. The Fort Myers Track Club accommodates both kinds of people. They have scheduled group training runs in both the early morning and late afternoon. Click here for their schedule.

4) No pain, no gain: False. Yeah, it sounds hardcore but we need to keep in mind that there is a huge difference between discomfort and pain. Being a little sore because you blasted your quads on leg day is cool, being unable to lift your arm because you feel sharp pain in your shoulder is not. Know the difference between pain and discomfort and remember that discomfort comes with progress but pain is your body telling you that something isn’t right.

5) If you don’t work out every day, it’s not going to matter: False. Again, it sounds hardcore and cool to say, but it’s really not true. First, any amount of exercise is better than no exercise at all. Equally important is the fact that your body needs rest to progress. Muscles don’t grow during your work out, they grow afterwards while you are resting. You have to get enough rest on a daily basis and giving yourself a day off from the gym sometimes is a good idea.

6) When you stop exercising, muscle turns to fat: False. Muscle doesn’t turn to fat. Period. Muscles that aren’t being used will become less toned and they actually shrink in size if they aren’t being used. Of course if you aren’t using the muscle you’ll probably gain body fat, but that’s “new” fat, not muscle converting to fat.

7) If you lift weights, you’ll gain weight: Not exactly. It is possible that you will weigh more because muscle is more dense than fat, but replacing fat with muscle is certainly an improvement. Many people actually lose weight during weight training programs because they lose so much body fat. Some see their weight stay the same because the fat lost is replaced by denser muscle. Some gain weight, but they usually have to want to gain. It’s not because of weight lifting, it’s a combo of diet and exercise. It’s important to note that resistance training is important to fitness, whether it is with weights, resistance bands or body weight resistance. We also need to get away from obsessing about weight as a number. Arbitrary numbers on a height-weight chart aren’t a measure of fitness.

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