Image credit Binyamin Mellish
So you are working hard, eating well and you have your mental health in check. However there are some days when you look at social media, see your mates eating the best burger you have ever seen and you reminice. Clean eating, it’s the only way to maintain your bodyweight, right?
Wrong! Ok, so it’s important to remember that clean eating isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about living a healthier lifestyle and reducing your impact on the environment. However banning yourself from junk food purely to lose weight is just one of many myths in the fitness world. Check out this post to read more about this crazy diet fib and read on to discover some more common mistakes we’ve been led to believe.
Have you been slogging it out in the gym for an hour every night but not seeing the results you want? According to experts we have been burning fat all wrong. Medium intensity exercise will boost your metabolic rate for the duration of your exercise. So whilst you will certainly burn calories and fat, it isn’t the most efficient way to do it. A high intensity workout can be done in under 28 minutes. You will lose the same calories as you do in an hour but your metabolic rate will stay raised throughout the day, meaning a shorter but harder regime will have you burning fat throughout your day, instead of just over the duration of your usual 1 our routine.
Doing endless crunches but not seeing that elusive six pack? Whilst crunches are one of the best exercises for building strong abdominal muscles you won’t burn fat and that layer of fat will hide all your hard work. Abs are made in the kitchen not the gym, however if you want to increase the rate of reduction to your waist, get planking instead. This will burn more calories than the traditional crunch and will have you shrinking in no time.
Here’s a little fact to slip into the myths, partial sleep deprivation ups production of the hormone ghrelin, which triggers hunger and therefore, skipping sleep can make you fatter! So make sure you are as regular with bedtime as you are at the gym.
Hear running is bad for your knees? This is another great fitness myth. Results show that older runners knees are no less damaged than a non runner’s knee. Although it is a reasonably high impact sport runners are far less prone to injury that those who play ball sports. You could use supports like these if you have an old injury. Just ensure that you do two full body strengthening workouts a week and you should be able to avoid any injuries due to muscle or joint weakness.
Next time you are feeling deflated about eating or struggling to see results, do a little research and make sure you aren’t buying into a myth and missing out on a better health and fitness lifestyle.
Until next time, happy lifting!
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