We talked to Health and Fitness experts about the most common Diet and Exercise myths and related facts. We then separated for you the the most common 9 facts from fiction – and you will be surprised that we found out breakfast isn’t always the most important meal of the day. There are some more such pieces of health and fitness wisdom, which we hear from long before we resolve to plunge into re-examine them.
You hear a lot about the wisdom of drinking eight glasses of water a day and eight hours sleep; breakfast is the most important meal of the day; juice diet flush out toxins and stomach crunches will give you steel abs.
Much of advice floats around according to ongoing research, but given how we are all biochemically different, what works for one person may not work for another.
As a fitness buff with a passion for nutrition and workout, I have observed that in spite of best efforts some people kept gaining weight. After having talked to many professionals who run fat loss programs and doing my own research, I found out that a lot of information is outdated.
Weight Loss And Fitness Myths And Facts
Here are the most common myths & facts about weight loss & fitness:
1. Myth: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Fact: You shouldn’t force yourself to eat if you’re not hungry. Wait until you feel appetite, and then eat – but make sure to eat something healthy.
Family Fitness Tip: Breakfast can be an excellent way to start your day – but only if you feel like eating it.
2. Myth: Hot bath, a remedy for muscle soreness.
Fact: A cold bath is an effective way to soothe sore-muscles. This is because the colder temperature will constrict blood vessels instead of dilating them, limiting the amount of waste product that accumulates. Moreover, cold exposure also helps fat burning.
3. Myth: Stomach crunches are the key to a flat stomach.
Fact: Crunches are not the best way to trim down your middle. Whereas they do tone up a small section of your abs, but far more effective is to do exercises that involve your entire core. Remember simply focusing on just one area of your body or stomach won’t make a big impact.
4. Myth: Running is bad for your knees.
Fact: Studies have found that the knees in runners are no less healthy than non-runners. It has also been shown that women are more prone to suffer knee injuries because of an imbalance in strength ratio. An effective way to reinforce your knees is to strengthen the muscles around them with total body strength workouts.
5. Myth: One needs to work out for at least 45 minutes for it to have any impact.
Fact: Even a 10 minute HIIT (High Impact Interval Training) is far better for fat burning and bonus point is that this makes your body keeps burning fat for up to 24 hours afterwards.
6. Myth: Calcium only comes from dairy.
Fact: You can get calcium from many other kinds of sources including broccoli and sesame seeds.
Tip: For those who have allergy to or don’t relish dairy products, sesame seeds can be a good calcium-rich alternative to cheese, yoghurt and milk.
7. Myth: The only way to lose weight is to refrain from all carbs.
Fact: A highly efficient way to lose weight is following a diet that can become a way of your life and not a crash diet. Keeping at bay all carbs such as pasta, bread, white potatoes etc. is no doubt for the best but you need to keep in all of your veggie carbs.
8. Myth: A protein bar is a good alternative to a meal.
Fact: Protein bars are highly processed and do not provide all the essential nutrients that your body requires.
9. Myth: Weight-lifting will make me look bulky
Fact: Women generally have less muscle tissue and produce lesser amounts of testosterone than men, so even if you are lifting heavy weights you are not likely to build bulk.
