Illusions are created. Just like myths. Not everything you are told about fitness is true. Even at gyms, many ‘ fundas' float around, waiting to be picked up by the gullible and the willing. Here are some you may have heard, or read and believed: what they are and what the truth is. While some myths are harmless others can have negative effects.
A few of the many are listed below. You, however, need to find your own exercise truths and what works best for your body. Some people like to wake up with the lark and set off to their morning workout, while others prefer doing their exercise after the day is done, the sun has set. They like to mull over their day's happenings as they go through the paces of staying in shape. Still others find time in the middle of the day for their physical activity session. All work well.
Spot Reduction
Your body decides where to reduce the fat from. Often people think they can order from a ‘fat reduction menu'. Many walk into a gym, and say, “I love the way my cheeks look. It's my protruding stomach that bothers me. Can you help me reduce it?” No, sorry, tough luck.
When you drop the kilos, you cannot control the spot. For that you need a plastic surgeon. “We do offer our patients options like wash board flat abs, the coveted six packs and various other spot reductions,” says Chennai plastic surgeon Dr. R. Karthik. “The fat that is removed never returns to that particular area,” he says and cautions, “still, we tell everybody who comes to us, that they have to maintain their body with healthy food habits and proper exercise.” It is the way nature designed the human body: it needs exercise and it is meant to consume only a certain amount of food. Always rise from the dining table with a little space in your stomach. While a plastic surgeon can help with spot reductions, if you eat all the wrong kinds of food and loll around in bed all day, your fat cells will swell – in another part of your body.
Running
Whether it is on the treadmill or on the road, running does impact the knees. Irrespective of what you believe. And it happens slowly. Instead of limiting your workout to the treadmill, do a variety of stuff. Like the rower, the EFX and the stationary cycle. All of them give you what a treadmill will. On some machines — like the EFX and rower — you get the added benefit of working out more muscle groups than you would from pounding away on a treadmill.
Sweat
The more you sweat, the more you burn. Not necessarily true. You could be sweating away in a very hot place as you sit without the fan running or the air conditioning on. Many people sweat in their sleep. Sweating is your body's way of cooling itself. Often, when you are exercising in a climatically controlled environment the sweat factor is far less than otherwise, and you will be burning those calories away, fear not.
Too much too soon
Doing too much too soon is a big mistake. Often people return to exercising after a long break and push their bodies into pre-vacation frenzy, thinking, ‘if I don't feel tired or exhausted, all is well within.” Your body will react to the overdoing a day or a couple of days later. Trying to replicate what you did when you stopped is a big mistake. Your body has gone through a bout of inactivity. It has become used to less or no exercise. Getting back into gear takes time. Go slow for a bit and increase your pace and force a little at a time and all will be well.
With inputs from the trainers at Score Clubs, Chennai.
