For our final Locker edition of 2017, we have put together a few common exercise and diet myths that need busting! We guarantee you will have heard most of these at some point – but rest assured, myths are all that they are.
Exercise myth busting:
Weight lifting / strength training will build muscle, rather than lose weight
Actually, weight and strength training is a great way to lose weight. Often, women in particular avoid this kind of workout because they believe it will bulk their muscles. But weight and strength workouts will actually tone and sculpt women! Since testosterone aids muscle bulking, women will not put on muscle in the same way that men do.
“No pain, no gain”
How achey your muscles feel is not necessarily a sign of how well you’ve worked out. Whilst achey muscles after a workout are OK, you should not be in pain during the work out.
Strength training requires heavy weights and gym machines
All that strength training means is that you use resistance to work out. This could just involve working out using your own bodyweight through suspension training for example, or by using small weights such as kettlebells or medicine balls.
Running is bad for your knees
Contact sports like football can actually be worse for the joints. If you regularly do a varied workout routine which builds up muscle around the knee, you will be less likely to have problems when running.
Diet myth busting:
Calories are bad
This myth is deeply ingrained in our diet rhetoric, but it is also very misleading. Calories are essential to health – and to living! Too many calories will lead to weight gain, but counting calories can lead to bad overall health if you’re not careful. Natural, healthy foods such as avocados are fatty foods, but these are good fats. The same goes with calories – they can be good, and they can be bad. Think about quality over quantity!
Cutting out carbs is the best way to lose weight
This myth definitely needs to be busted, for good! So many carbohydrates are good for you and provide an essential source of energy. Whole grain and wholemeal carbs, like brown rice or wholemeal bread, have a high fibre content which is great for digestive health. Eaten as part of a balanced and healthy diet, carbs will not lead to weight gain.
Eggs whites are good, egg yolks are bad
In fact, the egg yolk holds over 40 percent of the protein, and more than 90 percent of the calcium, iron and B vitamins in an egg! Whilst the yolk contains more fat, it has healthy fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and will keep you full for longer![1]
Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight
People who eat breakfast are actually more likely to maintain a healthy weight than people who skip breakfast! Fasting in the morning can make you hungry, tired, and far more likely to want to reach for high-fat, high-calorie snacks throughout the day.
Granola is super healthy
Actually, a lot of cereals, granola included, have the kinds of sugar levels you would expect to see in your puddings! The best breakfasts contain oats (porridge, plain Musellis), wholegrain cereals (Bran Flakes, All-Bran), or whole wheat cereals (Wheetabix, Shreddies).
We hope this has cleared up a few things for you. There really is no big secret to a healthy lifestyle – all it takes is keeping active, eating a healthy and balanced diet, and steering clear of all the bad stuff, like smoking and excessive drinking!
