Don't Take This Fitness Advice
By Sara Butler
The internet puts a wealth of information right at your fingertips, but not all that information is good information. In fact, there’s a lot of terrible advice out there -- especially when it comes to health and fitness. Don’t let these fitness myths derail your efforts to get fit and be healthy. Here are a few pieces of fitness advice you’re better off not taking.
Lift Weight to Bulk Up
It’s universally acknowledged that strength training will lead to big, hulking muscles. Right? No, that’s actually not the case at all. You may notice a lot of beefy guys lifting weights at your gym, but that’s not actually how they got that way -- or it’s not the whole story, anyway.
If you’re not lifting weights because you’re afraid of being too bulky, let that idea go. You need to perform strength training exercises to help build lean muscle, not just get swollen. When you build lean muscle, it will help to increase your metabolism and burn more calories. So, don’t let the weight room intimidate you.
You Need a Cleanse to Reboot
Detoxes and cleanses are all the rage, but you actually don’t need to do that. They aren’t a way to reset your metabolism or purge your body of toxins. It’s just a gimmick that probably leaves you feeling very hungry.
The truth of the matter is that if you’re a healthy person, you have everything you need to cleanse your body naturally. Your kidneys and liver work to filter out waste from your body. If you really want to detox, then eat a healthy diet that supports optimal functioning of the organs helping to keep you on track.
No Pain Means No Gain
A workout that is effective may cause you some discomfort and soreness and that’s perfectly OK. But what isn’t OK is pain experienced in the middle of a workout or to experience soreness after three or more days. If you do experience sharp, sudden pain, then stop what you’re doing and assess the damage. If your muscles achiness and soreness lasts more than three days and the pain isn’t getting better, then you might be injured.
Factual information on your health and fitness can be found at The Joint! If you have questions, the chiropractors at The Joint are always happy to help.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Houston, Tex.