It’s time to set the record straight about ten common exercise myths and rethink any you may still live by. Many of us have been influenced by them in some way. It may surprise you to learn that most of these popular misconceptions lack scientific evidence.
The American Council on Exercise says it best: “Fitness myths have always, and will likely continue to, plague the industry and confuse even the most experienced fitness fan.”
Myth 1: Wearing a waist trainer or plastic suit helps you lose weight.
While waist trainers can temporarily slim the waist, they don’t cause permanent changes or lead to meaningful weight loss. Weight loss may result from fluid loss or reduced eating due to stomach compression. This is not a viable, sustainable way to lose weight. Waist trainers can also cause breathing difficulties, digestion issues, and organ damage if worn long-term. Harvard Health notes that waist trainers may be useful for temporary post-surgery core muscle recovery, if recommended by a doctor.
According to Boxing Science, wearing a sauna suit won’t increase your metabolism, especially while resting. Wearing a sauna suit will make you sweat and might lead to water weight loss, but it won’t help you burn more fat.
FACT: Waist trainers/sauna suits will make you sweat, but they do not help you lose fat.
Myth 2: Lifting heavy weights makes you bulky.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Research confirms that women can and should lift weights (including heavy ones) without fearing becoming more than healthy, toned and strong.”
Women have lower testosterone levels than men, making it harder to build muscle mass. Focus on lifting heavy weights with low reps to boost muscle growth without excess testosterone. Unlike cardio, this method increases your resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories.
Fact: Lifting heavy weight does increase muscle mass, strength, and size. However, excessive body fat is to blame for men’s and women’s “bulky” looks. Heavy weight training helps build muscle, increase metabolism, and lose body fat.
Myth 3: Crunches/Sit-ups (or spot training/targeted workouts) help you lose belly fat.
As much as we want to believe it, you cannot target fat loss in specific areas of your body. When you lose weight, you lose it from all over your body, not just one specific area. Exercises targeting a specific area, such as crunches for abs, can help strengthen and tone that part of your core, but it will not necessarily reduce fat in that area.
There’s a saying: Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym. It’s simply impossible to “burn off” fat in one body part by exercising.
If you want to reveal hidden abs, your best bet is to reduce your body fat percentage through sustainable healthy eating habits and a strength training exercise routine. You will have to do various exercises that target muscles around your entire trunk, including in your core, abdominals, and back.
FACT: Crunches are a popular exercise for strengthening your core, but they are not the best way to get those fab abs. Doing too many crunches can lead to back pain and poor posture.
Myth 4: Muscle weighs more than fat.
Lean tissue weighs more than fat tissue is a common misstatement. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 1 lb of lean muscle tissue weighs 16 oz, as does 1 lb of fat tissue.
FACT: Muscle tissue is dense; fat tissue takes up more space or volume than muscle, but their weight is the same.
Myth 5: My muscle turns to fat if I stop working out.
Nope. Muscles do not turn fat when you stop exercising. Simply put, muscle and fat cells are entirely different tissues. More specifically, muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue and functions differently in the body.
The National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) helps clarify this common misconception. “Without consistent regular strength training and proper nutrition to build muscle, there is a much greater chance of body fat increasing. This is not because your muscles turned to fat. It’s because the ideal environment was created for fat stores to grow and the worst opportunity for the muscle to develop.”
FACT: When you stop exercising, your muscles can shrink and weaken (atrophy), leaving room for fat tissue to replace them. It can cause a shift of fat-to-muscle ratio in your body, but the muscle does not become fat.
Conclusion
Exercise misconceptions might cause you to work out inefficiently and hinder your attempts for fitness. To get the most out of your efforts, you must arm yourself with correct information. Resources like Black Health Matters are invaluable for providing trustworthy health guidance, especially tailored to the Black community. Another great tool is The Difference App, which provides a range of health and nutrition topics in addition to tracking your progress. With the help of this tool, you can stay informed, make better decisions, and ultimately reach your health objectives more successfully.