The Secret Ingredient to Better Fitness (Bust those Fitness Myths!)

You are a smart person, but there are some pretty vicious gym myths that are taking you away from your best fitness. Let’s bust those sneaky myths!

In my recent Slideshare presentation, I debunk common fitness myths. You know, the kind of myths that make you give up even before you start.

Here are some of the more common ones that you may believe.

• You should burn the most amount of calories when you exercise
• Your weight shows your current fitness level
• You can spot reduce your abs, arms, butt, or thighs
• Gyms are the best place to get fit
• Cardio is the only way to lose weight

[bctt tweet=”Let’s debunk these fitness myths, and identify the secret ingredient to better fitness you are missing. @diyactive” username=””]

Burn more Calories

On a very simple level, weight loss is a result of burning more calories than you eat. Which is why you may have heard about the nutrition professor who went on the and still lost 27 pounds!

Knowing that you need to either a) eat fewer calories or b) burn more calories can inspire you to burn like a beast on the cardio machine.

After all, the cardio machine is tracking how many calories you burn, right? Not really.

A machine has some very basic information on the user. However, everyone has a different basal metabolic rate (BMR). Not to get all technical on you, but BMR is the amount of energy expended while at rest in a neutrally temperate environment. You can calculate yours here.

A machine does NOT know what your BMR is, nor does your fitness tracker, app, etc.

Also, since I’m all about sustainable life changes, I cannot support a strategy where you simply punish yourself in the gym to burn that taco pizza you just devoured. Or, the cupcakes, cookies, and cakes (oh my!).

Weight= Fitness Level

Tell that to Olympic hammer thrower Amanda Bingson, who posed nude on the cover of ESPN Body Issue. Or, the ultra marathoner Mirna Valerio, who was seen on the cover of Runner’s World. Here are some other inspirational plus size athletes on NY Daily News.

Personally, I firmly believe that I was “healthy” when I was morbidly obese, because I was very active. Every weekend, I would bike across the border from WI to IL with my family, we played volleyball and badminton all summer long, and I even conquered on the junior high volleyball team at my school.

That active philosophy has remained true throughout my life, and allowed me to birth two healthy daughters without surgery as well as recuperate well from a major back surgery in my late 20s. I have always maintained a consistent fitness schedule, and it has served me well.

In fact, when my arms were being measured for a fitness assessment, a woman who weighed at least 30 pounds less than me openly admired my guns!

Spot Reduction

Research has shown this idea to be BS time and time again! Here is a breakdown of why.

Subcutaneous fat is the fat that makes us cringe. It is the stubborn fat that hangs on our hips, locks on our love handles, and builds our bellies. This fat only goes away when we metabolize that fat into energy. Unfortunately, our genetics determine where the fat melts away from, and fat will melt from the areas in which it first appeared.

What this means is you can do 100 core exercises every day, and eat like a nutritionist, but the belly might be the LAST place to see any results. Persistence is key, my friend.

Get Fit at the Gym

Most gym memberships are short-term, at best. And, some folks who faithfully pay their gym membership go to chat with their friends or eat at the “healthy” smoothie bar. Or, simply watch their kids doing a sport.

According to Statistic Brain, the average gym members only darkens the door 2 times or less per week!

I don’t know how anyone can get fit in just 2 times a week. Doesn’t the American Council on Exercise recommend a MINIMUM of 5 times per week for overall health?

By the way, I am a little biased. I haven’t held a gym membership in years, because I found a way to build a cost-effective home gym, and still keep fit. Oh, and did I mention there are lots of FREE Youtube channels to get moving to? All in the convenience of your home, with no need to fight weather, parking spaces, or the crowds at Lulu Lemon.

To find out where you most benefit from getting fit, try out the free personal Workout Style quiz.

Cardio is King (or Queen?)

Throw out your leotard, ladies! There is a new boss in town.

Even if you have never lifted anything heavier than your purse, you would benefit from shaking up your cardio routines for more calorie burn, while you sleep.

This one secret ingredient while help you rev up your fitness routine.

Click on the RESIST THIS presentation to find out more.

I am dedicated to helping everyone achieve their health goals, whether those goals include a fitness routine you can love, meal planning without counting anything, or mastering your mindset for long-term lifestyle change. Check out how to work with me.