The 5 Biggest Myths about Exercise

There are a lot of misconceptions/questions about exercise out there and I want to clear up a few that I frequently get asked about. (These aren't in any particular order.)

1. "If I do 500 crunches day, will I will get a 6 pack or a toned midsection?" False! You can do crunches or abdomen exercises until the cows come home, but if you've got an extra layer of fat around the middle, forget it, you've got to shed that before you see any kind of definition in those muscles. Now, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do them at all (because of the strength benefits), it just means that you need to burn more calories than what you take in, so you can lose body fat.

2. "How can I get rid of that lower tummy bulge, or my flabby arms, or my inner thighs?" These are very common questions and issues among women especially. Unfortunately, there is NO magical exercise that will "spot reduce" certain trouble areas. So, the answer stands with the first question. In order to see muscle definition, you need to burn fat, which again, means heavy exercise (ideally a combination of strength training and cardio) and more importantly, watching your diet. Your eating habits will actually dictate your rate of fat loss more than exercise. You will see results on the scale, in your clothes fitting looser, in body fat %, by eating healthier, cutting down portion size, and ultimately, consuming less calories. If you want to accelerate fat loss, stick to a good nutrition plan AND exercise 5 days/week for an hour.

3. "I've heard that you want to keep your heart rate in a lower range to burn fat faster (you know, the whole 'fat burning zone'), is this true?" Again, FALSE! Think about it for a min. For example, if you do a high intensity workout for an hour like spinning and your heart rate is elevated on the high end of your "cardio zone", say ranging from 150-170, you're going to burn more calories (500-700 kcal/hr) than say, walking on a treadmill for the same length of time at a moderate pace. With that particular workout, you might keep your heart rate between 130-145 and hence, you will burn LESS calories (300-400 kcal/hr) than the high intensity workout. So, the more intense exercise you do, (you know, work up a sweat and breath heavily!), the more calories you will burn at the end of the day!

4. "Is running the best exercise for losing weight?" Surprisingly enough, I hear this a lot from clients. People think that because it's hard, it's the best exercise to do to lose weight. And although running is great cardiovascular exercise, it's not necessarily the best exercise. There are plenty of other types of exercise that can elevate the heart just as high, work the muscles just as hard, and burn the same amount of calories. Take cycling, for example. Just because it's not as "high impact" (on the joints), doesn't mean it's not great for the lower body muscles. You might have to maintain a faster pace, add hills, intervals, or maybe even wind to get your heart rate really up there, but it's still GREAT exercise and actually better for the joints in the long run. Swimming, high-intensity strength training (circuit training with multiple muscle groups ideally), kickboxing, hiking up hill, and many other exercises are just as good for you and can get the same benefits as running. If anything, some will benefit you more. The bottom line is...pick something you ENJOY because how are you ever going to stick to something if you don't like doing it? And push yourself as you get stronger, change up your routine (a big one!), and get creative! It will do wonders!

5. Last, but not least, "I don't want to bulk up. Will lifting weights do that?" (and probably the biggest misconception when it comes to strength training.) NO, NO, and NO! Women are so scared that if they do strength training, they will look "bulky". Let me tell you, ladies, we don't have NEAR the amount of testerone in our bodies to build muscle like our male counterparts do. (Of course, unless we use some kind of anabolic steriod.) If you think that you get bulky lifting weights, it's only because you have a fat layer over your muscle that you need to decrease! Strength training promotes LEAN muscle mass, it tones and strengthens your muscles, it improves your balance, your posture and core strength, it increases your basal metabolic rate (a big one! If you lift weights you will burn more calories throughout the day exercising or even just sitting there!). There are too many benefits to strength training to NOT do it, and let's face it, the older we get, the slower our metabolisms get (unless we strength train), and the more everything sags! We need all the help we can get, right?! :)