There is no doubt that sometimes, the world of fitness can be a confusing place. It seems that common practices and expert wisdom is always changing. Sometimes, the latest study can even be proven wrong just a few months down the road. Below are 5 such pieces of “wisdom” that even I once believed in. As always it seems that we should continually be willing to test everything and hold on to the good.
Don’t eat after 7pm
Myth: This is a common belief that I held until recently. The old wisdom goes, if you eat anything within two hours of sleep, then the calories you consumed will be more likely to turn into fat due to your inactivity over night.
Busted: Your metabolism really doesn’t care what time of day you consume your calories. In fact, the period of time while we are sleeping is when our body does most of it’s repairs and growth – definitely not a period of complete inactivity. My biggest tip for calorie consumption: avoid eating overly large meal portions. Keep meals under 700-800 calories. Consuming too many calories at once is indeed bad for your metabolism.
Walking burns as many calories as running
Myth: I used to believe that a mile is a mile, meaning that whether you ran a mile or walked a mile, your body exerted the same amount of effort. Your body should spend the same amount of calories going the same distance no matter how long it took you to do it, right?
Busted: The intensity of your workout does indeed matter. When you are running, your body uses much more energy to cover the distance than when you walk.
The treadmill is easier on your knees
Myth: Many people use the treadmill as opposed to running on asphalt because it is easier on their knees and helps them to prevent injury.
Busted: The major source of common knee problems is not the impact of your feet with the ground but the force of your body weight on your joints. Varying your workouts between running and other cardio activities is a possible solution for those experiencing chronic knee pain.
Static stretching prevents injury
Myth: Holding a stretch position for 20-30 seconds (static stretching) is a long held practice that is supposed to loosen muscles before a strenuous workout.
Busted: Recent studies have shown that static stretching actually weakens muscles if done right before your workouts. Dynamic stretching is a much better way to keep yourself from injury and keep your muscles strong when you need them most.
Drinking water will help you lose weight
Myth: Drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day is not only good at hydrating your body, but it also will help you to lose weight by speeding up your metabolism.
Busted: Here is another piece of wisdom that I once used to hold firmly too. I was always told that drinking water can, in and of itself, help you to lose weight. However, recent studies are beginning to show that this simply isn’t the case. While replacing a high calorie beverage with a glass of water is always recommended, there are no magic properties of water that keep you full or burn extra calories.
(photo by caesararum)
