The Worst Workout Advice
By Sara Butler
Bad advice can come from anywhere. It’s not that people are trying to fool you or give you bad advice on purpose – it’s simply that as more is learned about exercise and diet, the advice given doesn’t generally change to reflect it. Here are a few pieces of outdated fitness advice that you need to let go in one ear and out the other.
To Achieve a Healthy Weight, You Must Exercise
When people want you to join a gym or buy a piece of exercise equipment, this is what they’re going to tell you – and it’s advice a lot of people believe to be true. But science doesn’t back it up. Not that exercise is bad for you because it certainly isn’t. If you want to get to a healthy weight, then you have to watch what you eat, too.
If you want to work toward a healthy weight you can maintain, then you need to eat healthy foods and generally eat fewer calories to be successful. You can give yourself a bigger edge in the battle of the bulge by finding a buddy to work toward a healthy weight, too. Many studies support the idea that a buddy can help you to get where you want to go to be healthy.
No Pain, No Gain!
OK – so challenging yourself and pushing your body doesn’t always feel great, but it doesn’t mean you should be in pain either. That’s because this motto is a terrible strategy for a lifelong exercise regimen. If you’re exercising in order to reap health benefits, then you don’t need to be in pain at all. You can get all the benefits of exercise without the discomfort.
Moderate exercise four or five times a week for about 30 minutes is all you need to be healthier. Walking, dancing, jogging, swimming, or volleyball all count as moderate exercise. Heck, even cleaning your house can qualify. That’s all you need.
The bottom line to all of this is that if you’ve been exercising based on advice you got circa 1995, then you probably want to take some time to reevaluate it. Conventional wisdom changes often – as fast as the science behind it all. Researchers are still discovering all the ways the human body works, so make sure you try to keep up to date so you can stay as healthy as possible.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.