Excercise Myths...

Dear Friends,

Hope you all find these useful ...

EXERCISE MYTHS

In whatever man ventures into he is always surrounded by myths which are sometimes imbibed into him from childhood and sometimes through various other channels. Here are some of the most common exercise myths based on current exercise research. 1. You Will Burn More Fat If You Exercise Longer at a Lower Intensity. This is the biggest myths that one has. The most important focus in exercise is the amount of fats that you burn while you are doing that activity. The faster you walk, step or run, for example, the more calories you use per minute. However, high-intensity exercise is difficult to sustain if you are a beginner or you have not exercised for a while, so you may not exercise very long at this level. It is safer, and more practical, to start out at a lower intensity and work your way up gradually. 2. If You're Not Going to Work Out Hard and Often, Exercise Is a Waste of Time. This kind of thinking keeps a lot of people from maintaining or even starting an exercise program. Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening for as little as an hour a week has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. 3. Yoga Is a Completely Gentle and Safe Exercise. Well this belief is very wrong. Yoga is an excellent form of exercise, but some styles are quite rigorous and demanding both physically and mentally. As with any form of exercise, qualified, careful instruction is necessary for a safe, effective workout. Some exercises if not continued and abruptly stopped can cause serious health risks. 4. Regular Exercise Will Help You Lose Weight Quickly. This is also a wrong belief. In reality, genetics play an important role in how people respond to exercise. Studies have shown that a group of people who have been following the same set of exercises response differently and weight loss is also different. 5. Exercise Alone Will Keep Your Weight In Check. This is the general misconception. Weight gain or loss is depends on various factors, including dietary intake and genetics. All individuals will not lose the same amount of weight on the same exercise program. It is possible to be active and overweight. However, although exercise alone cannot guarantee your ideal weight, regular physical activity is one of the most important factors for successful long-term weight management. 6. Home Workouts Are Fine, But Going to a Gym Is the Best Way to Get Fit.Research has shown that some people find it easier to stick to a home-based fitness program. In spite of all the hype on trendy exercise programs and facilities, the "best" program for you is the one you will participate in consistently. Regards, Suni ...

Hi Sunitha,

What a coincidence ! Yesterday , i wrote more or less the same points in the thread

Ways to Exercise: Gyms, treadmills, elipticals, yoga, cycling etc Discuss here

If you look at pg 8...you can see my opinion on this...it absolutely matches what you have given about the myths...

Great work suni...keep posting more useful info...!!

People have a misconception that since walking is easy...it may not be very effective...but we need to find the right form of exercise that suits and benefits us since it differs for each individual.

Cheers
Krithika

Thanks Krithika ... I just read your post and sorry I didnt went thro yours yesterday ... Walking is really good exercise according to me and as you say it doesn't hurt in anyway ... Continues walking does gives result ... Hope many of them will understand and follow it ... All the best for the beginners !!! Regards Suni ...

Hi Sunitha,

You are most welcome..and no problems..since you have given compiled all the important myths and facts...great job !!

Hope we get to follow them and maintain a healthy lifestyle !

Cheers
Krithika

Hi one more gud post dear..

I have one doubt, my DH and me go for walking every day in the morning. I want him to come with empty stomach but he never listens me, he tells we should not go with empty stomach (his own reason for having coffee as soon he gets up)

But tell me is that true what am thinking..

Hi Senorita,

Having just a cup of coffee will not hinder the walking. It is absolutely okay.

Usually it is not advisable to have a heavy stomach when you are going for jogging/running, swimming and rigourous exercises cause this leads to cramps. For heavy exercises we need to wait for an hour or so.

In fact people walk for 10 or 15mts after their lunch or dinner ..ofcourse at that time we cannot do brisk walking immediately since it takes some time for the food to settle down.

There is no hard and fast rule that we should not eat anything before a walk.

Cheers
Krithika

Dear Sunitha,

I agree with Krithika ...

The theory behind this is that your blood sugar levels are low when you're in a fasted state (after going all night without eating) which targets more fat burning.


The problem is that some studies have shown that fat burning doesn't really start until you're 20 minutes into your cardio workout. That means you've wasted 20 minutes without a good source of fuel to sustain you. That could lead to fatigue before your body even starts metabolizing fat, which might mean shorter (and/or crappier) workouts in which you burn less calories than if you'd eaten a small snack to keep you going you. Critics also say you may even burn muscle if you don't have the necessary fuel for your workouts.

There are some other benefits to eating before your workout:

• It can boost recovery and strength gains
• It can help you sustain longer, more intense workouts
• It can help you avoid low blood sugar, which can make you feel dizzy or nauseous
• It can make your workouts more enjoyable (since you're not thinking about eating the whole time)

The bottom line is, it's up to you and the type of workout you're doing.

Some people are fine doing cardio without a meal in the morning, although they find they may need more fuel for a strength training workout. Other people workout so early, they may not have time to eat anything. The best answer to this is to do what works for you. Don't go hungry just because you think you're burning more fat...after all, if you cut it short or lower the intensity because of low energy, how much fat are you burning anyway?


If you do eat before a workout, make sure you give your body time to digest. The larger the meal, the more time you'll need. But, if you choose a light snack (100-200 calories) and stick with higher carb fare, you can probably exercise after about 30-60 minutes. Try some of these pre-workout snacks to get your body ready for exercise:

• Banana (or other type of fruit)
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
• Energy bar or gel
• Fruit smoothie
• Sports drink

Sorry for this long comment ... But, I hope this is useful for you and your Hubby ...

Regards Suni ...