Myth: If you exercise long and hard enough, you will always get the results you want.
Reality: Genetics plays an important role in how people respond to exercise. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. What works for someone else may not work for you. It’s the same with weight gain or loss. Individuals will not lose the same amount of weight doing the exact same exercise program as someone else. Make sure you change up your routine periodically either with a longer duration or higher intensity and see how you feel. Exercise alone cannot guarantee weight loss. You have to expend more calories then you take in. However, staying physically active is important to successfully manage weight in the long run. If you are not sure what to do, try a couple of sessions with a personal trainer to learn a safe way to adjust your workouts and try something new.
Myth: If you’re not going to workout hard and often, exercise is a waste of time.
Reality: Some exercise is better then no exercise. It’s ok if you cannot devote a continuous hour every day. Try 10-minute or 20-minute bouts at different times throughout the day. You will still get some results, like a reduced risk of heart disease by lowering your blood pressure. Being physically active 30-60 minutes a day most days of the week can lower your blood pressure by 4 to 9 mmHg within a few weeks. Additionally, you will lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while improving the HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
Myth: Crunches are KEY to flat abs.
Reality: You won’t lose fat from your belly just by doing crunches. You can strengthen your muscles, but until the layer of fat is reduced, you won’t see toned abs. In order to lose fat around your midsection, you have to lose fat from your entire body. To do this, you must do cardiovascular exercise to increase your body temperature for a sustained amount of time in order to trigger the metabolic effects needed to burn fat. Another fact to consider about crunches – they only works one part of the core-the rectus abdominus. “Core” muscles make up your torso and include many more muscles such as the transverse abdominus, lower and mid-back muscles, and the obliques. The core muscles of your upper body get assistance from the muscles in your lower body such as hip flexors, abductors, adductors, and hip extensors. One of the best core exercises to do is a plank. It keeps your spine in a neutral position (which is important if you have any vertebral disc issues in your low back) and recruits many more muscles than a crunch.
By: Erin Shea, M.S., ACSM-HSF, Fitness Specialist/Personal Trainer at Valley Health Wellness & Fitness Center
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