Exercise and working out are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. We’re all looking to maximize results while minimizing time and effort in the gym. That search for shortcuts has translated into a lot of myths about exercise. Consider these Magnificent 7 persistent exercise myths

Myth 1: No Pain, No Gain

While it’s absolutely true that you should push yourself and try to extend the limits of your endurance when you exercise, it’s not true at all that the best workouts are the ones that leave you feeling horrible, sore and very stiff the next day. Discomfort is natural, but pain? Definitely not. The idea that exercise should hurt is simply wrong—muscle pain during or following exercise usually suggests an injury. If you’re new to exercise, some muscle soreness is unavoidable

This myth has been debunked by doctors, physical therapists, and researchers of all stripes, but it still persists because most people conflate the idea of pushing themselves to work out harder with pain. It’s important to remember that your exercise should still be challenging, but if you’re experiencing pain, you should stop. In fact, if your workouts hurt, you probably won’t be as motivated to continue them, which is exactly the opposite of what your workouts should be

Myth 2: You can burn fat from specific regions of your body by exercising those areas 

One of the most common exercise myths is that you can reduce fat from specific parts of your body, such as your thighs or abdomen. The truth is fat can’t be burned from specific body parts. For example, doing abdominal exercises will strengthen your abdominal muscles but won’t trim fat off your abdominal area. Fat is stored throughout the body, and exercise will use fat from different areas and not necessarily the part you are working. The best way to reduce body fat is with a consistent routine of cardiovascular exercise, strength training and stretching

Myth 3: Strength training will make me too muscular

A common misconception, particularly amongst women, is that lifting weights will make them bulk up too much. This is usually absed on pictures they’ve seen of female bodybuilders, or very muscular men who are working out at their gym. The truth is that bodybuilders will have spent hours and hours at the gym, may use steroids and follow strict diets to achieve their physiques. In addition, compared to men, women have less of the hormone testosterone, which is key to developing large muscles. Strength training approximately two to four times a week, doing a variety of exercises for the major muscle groups, will help lead to a lean and toned appearance

Myth 4 : The more you sweat, the more fat you lose

When you exercise, especially during hot conditions, you’ll certainly sweat and lose weight. But it’s mainly lost water, not fat. When you eat or drink next, you’ll replenish your body’s fluid levels and the lost pounds will return. Sweating is not a good indicator of how many calories you’re burning – it simply tells you how much excess heat you are producing and will depend more on the temperature, humidity, the ratio of your weight to surface area and even genetic factors (some people just sweat more)

Myth 5 : Muscle turns to fat when you stop exercising

Err….NO. It’s impossible for muscle to turn to fat (or vice versa), as they are completely different types of body tissue. They do not have the capacity to change from one type to another. However, with muscles, it is a case of ‘use it or lose it’. If you don’t use a muscle it will lose strength, tone and size. It you eat more calories than you burn, the excess will be stored as fat. What WILL change is the ratio of muscle to fat in your body and, as muscle takes up less space than fat, your body shape will alter, and not in a good way!

Myth 6 : Cardio is best for losing fat

Cardio doesn’t burn fat; cardio burns calories. If your goal is to lose weight, you want to be in a caloric deficit. So as a part of getting into that caloric deficit, doing cardiovascular exercises is helpful. But if you’re not eating a diet or if you’re not monitoring your caloric intake on top of that and making sure that you are in that deficit, no amount of cardio that you do, you can’t outrun a bad diet. In fact, doing too much cardio can actually be a bad thing, because if all you’re doing is cardio with the goal of losing weight, you can start to burn into your muscle tissue, which may slow down your metabolism, decrease your bone density, and make yourself weaker

Myth 7: If you didn’t exercise when you were younger, it’s too late

Some older people tend to think that it is too late to start an exercise routine if they didn’t work out when they were younger. Studies have shown that it is never too late to start working out – you can reap benefits at any age. As we age, exercise can help reduce the risk of bone and muscle diseases and help enhance daily functionality. Regardless of age and medical history, consult a doctor before starting any exercise programme