Five Fitness Myths

There are myths in every field, but which one is true and which one is false? You plan your fitness routine based on your knowledge or on what you hear from friends?

Adam Campbell and Bev Ratcliff, both working in the fitness field, have joined forces to bust some fitness myths, according to CBS News. Let’s see five of these myths:

To get great abs you should do crunches.

False – Planks are better because they target the entire core and reduce the risk for lower back pain; crunches, on the other hand, also work abs, but might be harmful for your spine.

Weight training burns fewer calories than cardio.

False - Running at a six-minute-mile pace burns as many calories as a fast paced weight workout. You don’t need sophisticated fitness techniques – use dumb bells or your own body weight.

You can increase the burn by lifting weights slowly.

False – Well, actually it has an essence of truth: the weights should be lowered slowly, but lifted fast. Take three seconds to lower the weights and one second to lift them.

Weight training increases flexibility.

True – Some exercises improve both flexibility and balance. Repetitions stretch muscles of the hips and thighs. Lunges are among these exercises.

You need to stretch all tight muscles.

False – Muscles can feel tight because of the weakness in another muscle, not because of stretching, which is good.

When you’re unsure that you own real information, do a little research to see if it’s fact or fiction. It’s best for your health to check the information before you get into action.