Don’t let these fitness myths steer you wrong!
Spot reducing works
The question I most frequently am asked is, “How do I get rid of this?” THIS is usually excess fat in the abdominal area. Unfortunately, for most of us, that is where excess weight goes. With exercise and the right food intake, you WILL drop pounds. Yet we can’t tell our bodies where to lose weight. The good news: As weight decreases and body composition improves, you will indeed start to see fat loss around the middle (and throughout the rest of the body). Remember, you can also tone up the core muscles underneath.
If I skip meals, I’ll lose weight faster
While cutting back on your calories is wise when aiming to lose weight, eliminating too many calories will cause your body to slow down your metabolism. And this means you’ll burn fewer calories and will have less energy. Stay with consistent meals and find out the optimal number of calories/protein/carbs/fat that will help you in your weight loss efforts. A qualified trainer or dietitian can help.
I’m afraid of bulking up
A number of women have told me this when I encourage them to lift heavier weights. VERY FEW females have the ability to gain significant muscle mass…believe me, I try very hard to get bigger muscles! Women lack significant amounts of the muscle-building hormone testosterone. What training with heavier weights WILL do: Increase bone density AND maintain the muscle mass that you will lose with aging…and more muscle means more calories burned AND it looks good, too!
I’m older…I need to train with light weights
I’ve had women tell me that they can only lift super-light weights. And, if they’re just starting out with exercise, this may be wise. BUT…as we continue to exercise over the course of weeks and months, we should be getting stronger and, thus, be able to safely handle heavier weights. And those heavier loads lead to gains in bone density and muscle mass that have been lost due to the aging process.
I’m too old to get in shape
NOT true. I’ve worked with folks in their 90s who found exercise for the first time. And guess what? They get stronger, their balance gets better, they can walk without getting tired, they feel better and have more energy…I could go on and on. It’s never too late. Give the body a consistent challenge and it WILL respond.
I can’t
I don’t hear this one too often, but I cringe when I do. Your words have power. Go ahead and admit that it’s hard, that you don’t want to do it, that you’re tired. But remind yourself that your I CAN’T turned into I’LL TRY has power. It’s then that you grow and you change. Your body and your mind and your will WILL get stronger when you push through the hard stuff.
Exercise is just too hard
Well, it’s true…exercise IS hard. It’s self-discipline. It’s work. And generally, you’d rather do something else. But you won’t get the benefits of regular exercise without DOING it. Think about it…you can dread a workout for hours, but it you just get at it and DO IT, it’s done in 30, 40, 50 minutes. And then you’re on with the rest of your day. You’ll reap the benefits when you do the work.
I can control my weight by simply watching what I eat
To a certain extent, this is true. But as you age, little exercise will result in a soft, kinda flabby figure with no muscle tone or definition. And who wants that?? The body is made to move, and after the age of 30 or so, we will ALL notice the effects of no exercise. Another positive of regular workouts…you don’t need to be super-restrictive with the food intake; that exercise will give you just a bit of wiggle room in your calories.
I don’t have time to work out
WRONG. This one probably drives me crazier than the others. We ALL have the same amount of time each day. How do you CHOOSE to use your minutes? What can be edited in your schedule so that you have an extra 20 minutes to exercise that day? Getting up a bit earlier? Cutting back on TV or social media? Be honest with yourself here.
I’m just not motivated
Well, neither am I! But I’ve set this within myself: Exercise is a non-negotiable. I WILL do it each day. Don’t wait till you feel like it; that time generally will not come. But when you use a bit of self-discipline, you will make it happen. And it will become a habit, a ritual, a routine. This is something you decide to do FOR YOU.