Staying fit is more than just a trend. It has become more of a necessity to maintain a healthy lifestyle and live longer. Unfortunately, many people believe that in order to get results they need to do more work, too hard of work, and not ‘skip a day’. This often leads them down the wrong path, and at the end of this path, are the wrong results–mainly, injury, (adrenal) fatigue, and no results. In this blog, we will debunk 5 workout myths that are holding you back from your fitness and lifestyle goals!
Myth #01: Your workouts must make you ‘feel the pain’ to get results
This is one of the more common myths that people believe in order for their body to be challenged, they need to go through more than just a light workout. In reality, challenging your body doesn’t always mean working it until you’re on the brink of pain. Nor should your workout make you fear sitting on the toilet the next day, lol! Modest, incremental gains are the right approach. The tortoise (vs the Haar) was really on to something 😉
Myth #02: Stretching will not increase your flexibility
This is also a common myth that many people believe in order to get more flexible, they need to stretch more often. While stretching does have its benefits and can help with muscle memory, it is not the only thing that will help you gain more flexibility. Flexibility is more about your muscles being able to elongate than just stretching, and a lot of factors go into this–including strength training! “Almost every exercise I have my clients perform has a stretch component to it.” Creator of Next Step Fitness, Jeff Sidwell states. “This way, their muscles are learning how to respond appropriately to real-life stressors. In short, my clients don’t have to worry about ‘throwing their back out’, when cleaning out a closet, or the garage.”
So don’t stop stretching (it’s still important), but there are many ways to increase your flexibility without ‘killing time’ stretching.
(Check out my Online Program to learn how!)
Myth #03: As long as I do cardio, it doesn’t matter what I eat
While some may argue that this is true to an extent, the reality of the situation is that you will start seeing better results if you pay closer attention to how much fat vs carbohydrates you are consuming.
We’ve been lead astray by the nutrition world over the last 30 years. ‘Sugar-Free’, ‘Fat-Free’, ‘low carb, but same great taste’…what are we to think when the ‘science’ changes (generally reverts to the old science), every decade?!!
Here’s the reality. Eat Use-able foods. Use-able is my nontechnical term reflecting foods that are mostly organic, and what you would find in nature. The more they’ve altered the food, the less use-able it is to our bodies. Remember how annoying it is when your iPhone tries to interact with an android? Imagine your stomach having to make sense of a twinkie….they’re just not made for each other!
Myth #04: Rest doesn’t improve Results
Many people believe that working hard and resting will get them the best results possible, yet in reality, it’s just the opposite! Guess what I’m doing the 2 weeks leading up to my 50 mile Trail Race….sleeping more, stretching more, breathing more, and meditating…more. This is helping my body to recover and rebuild, to fully utilize all the results I’ve obtained over the last 5 months. Without this rest, my performance will suffer.
Myth #05: Working out like the Navy Seals is the best way to get fast results
If you’re running a Google search in ‘how to get in shape, the Navy Seals Bootcamp is not where YOU want to start. When we fall off the ‘exercise wagon’, we need to re-start with the basics. Just like if you were rusty with your Math skills, you wouldn’t start with Calculus, would you??
Here’s the problem and reality. Mass marketing fitness campaignes appeal to us because they’re filled with hype, big promises, and super toned models. We–literally–buy into what they’re saying, only to be disappointed with getting injured and exhausted, which leads us back to the couch.
Start simple, start with YOUR Next Step.
Live Life Well,
Trainer Jeff
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