Time to Throw out These Four Exercise Myths

Beginning a new exercise regimen, or stepping up an existing one, can be a daunting task. However, if you’re holding onto myths about physical fitness, it might be time to re-examine your beliefs and see if these outdated beliefs are keeping you from a healthier lifestyle:

1. Only exercise can help you lose fat.

You can’t out-exercise a poor diet. While exercising will help add muscle, exercising a specific spot won’t automatically reduce fat or “turn fat into muscle.” Abdominal workouts are great for improving core strength, but only partnering it with a good diet might result in a “six pack.”

2. Exercising can make women bulky and masculine-looking.

The distribution of muscle and fat is largely dictated by hormones, and most women don’t have the kind of testosterone and estrogen percentages to gain muscle the same way men do. Anyone can gain muscle mass, but it takes the right amount of testosterone (or artificial steroids) to create bulk.

3. You aren’t exercising enough if you don’t sweat.

Sweating isn’t necessarily tied to exertion – sitting still in a warm room is more likely to cause sweating than working out in a cooler one. While exercising does raise body temperature, sweating alone is not a reliable indicator of how hard a workout is. It’s also easy to overtrain in the belief that you must be sweating in order for a workout to be effective.

4. Yoga can fix muscle pain.

The stretches performed during yoga can help alleviate certain kinds of muscle tension, but pain may need to be evaluated by a doctor and properly treated to avoid aggravating an injury. Physiotherapy is safer and more effective than self-treatment for muscle or joint pain.

Don’t let any of these myths keep you from fully enjoying the benefits a good workout has to offer. If you’re concerned about pain, The Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres of Ontario (PARC of Ontario) can help. Contact us today to schedule an appointment:

(905) 579-9938 Oshawa
(905) 430-2112 Whitby
(905) 686-9081 Ajax
(905) 897-2092 Mississauga
(416) 445-2075 or (416) 430-0314 Scarborough