The Myths about Fitness

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The Myths about Fitness

• What you dont know about exercise can hurt!

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Its supposed to be fun

• Fun isnt the point. The point is to find
  something which you can stick with and will
  benefit you in the end.

3
Situps flatten your abdominals

• They will tone your ab muscles, but wont
  eliminate the fat layer which may cover them.
  Only burning more calories will produce overall
  fat reduction. There is no such thing as spot
  reducing. Fat burns evenly throughout the body.

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Youll always lose weight

• The scale is not a good measure of how well your
  exercise program is working. Lifting weights
  will add muscle which in turn can add more
  weight. The real benefit is that the percentage
  of body fat will be reduced.

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You should work out before you eat

• This issue can go either way. If youre over 30
  over weight, exercising before eating will burn
  more calories. If youre less than 30 over
  weight, then exercising after burns more
  calories. One known caveat is that exercising in
  the morning on an empty stomach can burn more fat
  since there will be no other available energy
  source.

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Machines are better than free weights

• Machines may be more convenient than free
  weights, even safer in many cases, but you can
  build more of the helper muscles using free
  weights. For many fitness enthusiast, using a
  combination of machine and free weights is a good
  compromise.

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Morning is the best time to exercise

• No time of the day is significantly better than
  the other. However, one needs to consider what
  time of day will give the person the best chance
  of sticking with the program. One caveat is that
  exercising too close to bedtime can make it hard
  to fall asleep.

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When you stop weight lifting , your muscle will
turn to fat.

• Hard muscles may degenerate into soft muscle
  tissue if not challenged. However, muscle cells
  and fat cells are completely different tissues,
  and one cant ever become the other. In
  addition, when muscle shrinks through under use,
  fat may take over that area.

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Sooner or later youll get hurt

• The majority of exercisers wont get hurt if they
  listen to their bodies and practice sound care
  and prevention principles.

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After a good sweat, you need extra salt

• Youd have to sweat 3 quarts of salt to lose just
  half of the 9 to 12 grams of salt a person
  consumes each day.

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Situps are best done with hand behind your neck

• Doing situps with hands behind the neck can cause
  too much pressure on the cervical vertebrae.
  Keep hands on your chest which keeps the spine
  aligned.

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People with high blood pressure should not lift
weights

• Long term studies of weight lifting and high
  blood pressure have failed to show any negative
  effects so long as proper breathing techniques
  are used. In fact, exercise can reduce blood
  pressure.

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No Pain, no gain

• We need to realize the difference between
  challenging our bodies to work hard even to the
  point of discomfort, and hurting ourselves. Once
  you establish the difference, you will likely
  avoid getting hurt.

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Exercise will make you tired during the day

• As their bodies get more in shape, most people
  feel exercising gives them more energy than
  before. Regular, brisk exercise can also help
  you resist fatigue and stress.

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Exercising takes too much time

• Regular exercise does not have to take more than
  30-40 minutes a few times per week. Some
  exercise is far better than none at all.

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All exercises give you the same benefit

• All physical activity can give you enjoyment.
  But, only regular , brisk and sustained exercises
  like walking, jogging or swimming improve the
  cardio vascular system. Weight lifting and yoga
  can increase muscular strength and flexibility.

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The older you are, the less exercise you need

• With age we tend to become less active, and
  therefore need to make sure we are getting enough
  exercise. In general, older people benefit from
  regular exercise as much as younger people. No
  matter the age, tailor the fitness program to
  your ability and desired result.

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You have to be athletic to exercise

• Most exercises including weight lifting do not
  require any special athletic abilities. In fact,
  many people who found school sports difficult
  have discovered that these other activities are
  easy to do and enjoyable.

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