Five Fitness Myths Busted

By Shandon Thompson, DC, CCSP

Spine & Sports Care of Loudoun

. http://www.ashburnspinecare.com/

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Five Fitness Myths Busted

With today's bustling pace staying fit and healthy is challenging enough don't make it tougher by buying into misconceptions that divert your attention from pursuing your goals. Arm yourself with the facts.
MYTH You need to exercise 30 minutes straight to get fit.
TRUTH For cardiovascular conditioning, three 10-minute cardio stints offer the same healthy payback as a single 30-minute one. Short on time? Consider ratcheting up the intensity of your workout.
MYTH Yoga can help with all sorts of back pain.
TRUTH Yoga can help, but it's not equally good for all types. If your pain is muscle-related, some yoga stretches can help. If it is related to other problems, it may actually irritate your back and cause more pain. Check with your sports physician to see what's right for you.
MYTH If you are experiencing joint pains, you shouldn't exercise.
TRUTH Not necessarily. People with joint pains and osteoarthritis can improve their condition by keeping their joints mobile and active. Fitness training helps to keep bones dense and strong, increase blood circulation, relieve stress, increase immunity and protect the heart.
A good exercise to try might be swimming. The water supports your weight, and allows you to get strong without putting stress on arthritic joints. But once again, get the OK from your doctor first.
MYTH You can use spot training to take weight off of specific body parts.
TRUTH Don't believe everything you hear on those infomercials. Doing sit-ups will strengthen your abs but will not take the fat off of your stomach. For example, running burns fat all over your body, not just your legs. You can, however, compliment a healthy diet with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone the body.
MYTH Overweight people have a sluggish metabolism.
TRUTH Though some folks may indeed have a condition that slows their metabolism, fewer than 10 percent of overweight people suffer from them. In fact, the more you weigh, the more calories you'll burn during exercise at the same relative workload as a slimmer person. If you notice the scale climbing higher, worry about your activity level and your calorie consumption, not your metabolism.