HEALTH SITE

Let’s have a look at a few fitness myths. Health and Fitness has become such a buzz industry, but there is still too much misinformation out there, so I hope this will clear up some of it!

Muscle weighs more than fat. 5lbs of fat weighs the same as 5lbs of muscle tissue, however the density is different. 5lbs of fat tissue will be larger in volume that 5lbs of muscle tissue and this is why two people who weigh the same will look quite different. If you are struggling to lose weight, you may be losing fat tissue and putting on muscle tissue, you will however be smaller. Let you clothes be a clearer indicator of your body shape than the scales of your body weight.

Muscle turns to fat if you stop exercising. This is complete bunkum! They are two completely different types of tissue. If you don’t exercise you are going to have more fat tissue than muscle tissue and if you stop exercising you will lose muscle tissue and gain fat tissue. Fat is the body’s insulator and protector; it is the last thing the body gives up! It will burn protein (i.e. muscle tissue from any muscle source, skeletal, cardiac or smooth= intestinal) for energy if there is not enough calories coming in.

The more you sweat the harder you are working. There are many factors governing the amount of sweat any person produces. Age, gender, fitness level, weight, genetics and environment all play a part. The body has between two and four million sweat glands, so different people sweat at a different rate. To gauge how hard you are working, keep an eye on your heart rate.

Crunches and sit-ups will help you gain a six pack. ‘Fraid not! Well defined abdominal muscles are a combination of quality eating habits and exercise to decrease fat tissue around the tummy area. Doing 50 sit ups every day won’t work if eating habits are poor. The bottom line is 90% diet and only 10% exercise!

Stretching prior to exercise reduces the risk of injury. It used to be normal to warm up, stretch and then exercise. This theory has now been blown out of the window. In fact some sources maintain that stretching before weight training actually weakens the muscles! It is certainly true that if you warm up, stretch and then perform some cardio exercise, running, swimming or cycling for example, all you are doing is lowering your heart rate which is taking you backwards! The heart-rate needs to be raised in order get the heart going. So save the stretching until after you have exercised. This is just as important for those going for a run as those who are walking the dog. 5-10 minutes stretching out, after exercise, will stop stiffness and soreness later on.

Eating before bedtime will increase fat storage. Eating late at night will not affect fat storage, if the total calories consumed are within daily guidelines, but overeating will. Eating late at night will affect digestion and keeps the body in “working” mode which will keep you awake; when really it is time to be in “resting” mode which enhances sleep.